Out of Time, Out of Place
by gluegirl56
Summary: During transit USS Enterprise finds Prime Captain Gabriel Lorca. It forces Kat to change her plans for the future, troubles Michael and Ash while Gabriel is forced to accept that everything isn't what it used to be. Chris has to find the 'red angel' and Una has to get the Enterprise space-worthy...
1. The Long Lost

**Star Trek Discovery**

 _Out of Time – Out of Place_

 **Chapter One**

 _The Long Lost_

 _USS Enterprise's_ Number One sat in her Captain's vacated chair and sadly watched as the smaller vessel, the _USS Discovery,_ disappeared in a blur of blue and white light. She sighed inwardly and wished, not for the first time, that Captain Pike was still on board and not in temporary command of the other ship.

Unfortunately, Pike couldn't use his own ship for the mission he was to embark on due to the recent multiple system failures they'd experienced. The _USS Enterprise_ might be the best thing the Fleet had but not even she was invincible. The _Enterprise_ simply couldn't travel the distance required for the mission in her current condition and time was of the essence here. Besides, the _Enterprise_ was built to explore strange new worlds and civilizations beyond anything anyone had ever seen, or been to before. Although she was a Constitution class ship and built as a heavy cruiser her assignment was one of peace. For that reason the Admiralty had decided Captain Pike should use the _Discovery_ for this type of mission. The Flagship of the Federation wasn't to be seen as a symbol for wartime or instil fear in people throughout the galaxy, she was to instil curiosity and to carry the message of peace. Right now, as far as anyone was concerned, the seven red signals in the sky appeared to be of great concern, perhaps even a threat to the Federation itself. At least that was what the president had expressed during the last council meeting. Una sighed wearily, they didn't need more bad news. The shit had already hit the fan with the war and everything it had brought with it.

There was another reason behind Pike taking temporary command of _Discovery_ as well as the _Enterprise_ going in for an overhaul. One that was top secret at the moment and probably one the SFC didn't know how to deal with. It was the delicate topic of Captain Gabriel Lorca. Starfleet Command had felt it best to send the _Discovery_ away as soon as possible.

Una sighed and shook her head, she didn't envy those who had to attend to the matter. 'How did you explain that the promising captain of the _USS Buran_ , who supposedly survived the incident while his ship was destroyed by enemy hands, didn't actually survive at all?' She pondered that for a moment as she stared blankly at the large view screen in front of her.

'How did you explain that a counterpart from another universe took the captain's place and managed to fool the entire staff and that not even his closest friends could tell the difference? Furthermore, how did one explain to the people of the Federation that the impostor had gotten command of one of the most secretive and expensive project currently existing.' Una sighed and reached up to absentmindedly run a hand over her forehead.

'How did you actually explain to the masses that Captain Lorca, who wasn't Captain Lorca at all, had been trusted with the _USS Discovery_ to put an end to the war that started with the mutiny on board the _USS Shenzhou_ and by an officer of the fleet that he had then taken under his wings.' Una smirked without even realizing it and then scowled. 'Some things were obviously best forgotten. Was it even possible to explain that the impostor used everyone and everything around him to get back to his own universe and that by doing so he sacrificed thousands of people to the Klingons? By taking that course of action he allowed for the enemy to reach far into Federation territory before the _Discovery_ finally made it back home to Starbase 46 with the modifications she carried. Modifications that would tip the scale in favor of the Federation.'

Una couldn't help but to grow cold as she thought about it. 'The impostor Gabriel Lorca had deliberately taken one of Starfleet's greatest assets away from the front line at a crucial time. Had the _Discovery_ returned immediately with the harmonics that gave them insight in the resonance of the Klingon shield modifications the war would have ended far earlier.'

It was not without dismay that Number One realized dejectedly that that part of the war would never be revealed to the people of the Federation, certainly not the fact that Starfleet had messed up. In truth it wasn't coming down to a handful of people. It wasn't down to Captain Gabriel Lorca or even the former mutineer, Michael Burnham. They'd just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time – or in Captain Lorca's case - not present at all.

Una chuckled ruefully under her breath as she remembered the look on Chris's face when they'd first spoken over a private channel, one week after his temporary transfer. Even though he was a master of hiding his feelings from people who didn't know him she could easily see through his façade. He had been angry and frustrated, his stance guarded and his shoulders tense. She had called him about it. He had leaned forward in his chair and levelled his eyes with hers and sadly told her that he'd lost Connelly in an accident.

She gave him a smile, trying to reassure him that things happen in space but it did nothing to comfort him. Una wished she could have been there to talk to him in the flesh, to be able to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze and cursed command for taking him away from her. Their ranks aside, he was her best friend and partner in crime, she missed having him around.

He had asked about his ship and crew. She had told him they were fine all things considered but that the space dock was crowded with people and that the _Enterprise_ had been ordered to stay back while they tried to clear mooring space for her large frame. He had enigmatically asked her if she thought the _Enterprise_ was up for a ride.

She'd told him they could make it past Pluto and back, that was just about what the battered starship was up to at the moment.

He had actually laughed at that. "That far, huh?" he'd said with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Una had replied that she would see what she could do. Two days later, after travelling much of the distance at slow warp and shields at 50 percent, held together by force fields and escorted by a smaller fleet vessel, the large Constitution class starship smoothly decelerated and changed to sub-space drive. They'd made it past the rim of the Sol system and out to Starbase two, one of the first that had ever been built, which housed a large medical hub. After everything that had happened lately in the aftermath of what was to be named the Federation-Klingon war the hospitals back on Earth were heavily crowded. Starfleet Medical headquarters in San Francisco had just enough space to house the wounded from the crippled ships that had escaped the wrath of the Klingon armada. Therefore the Enterprise had relocated to drop off her wounded here. Pike had told Number One to wait for _Discovery_ there, claiming they needed to talk. Una hadn't liked the darkness in his tone of voice when he'd suggested that – it simply wasn't like Chris.

She waited eagerly for him to come and join her as she sat alone at the counter in the popular Hubby Bubby bar. She sipped on a green-tinted drink and sighed. Una was well aware of the men eyeing her from all around the place but she didn't bath an eye, she was used to the attention. The flirting might have bothered her when she was younger and an unexperienced cadet but not now, being the first officer of the flagship. After three non-alcoholic drinks and several hours later she finally gave up, paid the bartender a few credits and walked off. She decided to take a tour of the rather large station in order to keep herself occupied. She was certain something had happened to Chris and she didn't want to mull over it unless she could help it. Una desperately wanted to be there for him, with him, and tackle the problems together.

When Philip Boyce found her standing in the observation lounge, gazing out through the windows overlooking the _Enterprise's_ docking bay she was almost afraid to turn around and fully face him, he looked so dejected and worn-out that she feared he'd received news she dreaded to hear.

"He's not coming, is he?" Una finally managed as the doctor walked up to stand beside her.

Phil shook his head. "A call came through a few minutes ago. Lieutenant Nicola tried to call you but you've obviously not brought your communicator with you," he said with a smirk.

Una managed a sheepish look. "Is he all right?" she asked.

The good doctor pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure for a moment and then shook his head slightly. "He was very vague about the reason for his delay, said something had come up," Boyce answered cryptically.

"Did he sound okay to you?" she pushed worriedly.

"No," Phil replied. "I'll deal with him later, don't you worry about that. Why don't we get back on board? I've set everything up here and handed over our injured crewmen into the best capable hands."

Una nodded. "I'll get the ship ready for travel," she said wearily. "Then I'm going to make sure that space dock has saved us a place for the night. I'm sick and tired of hearing the hacking of the engines, Louvier's constant whining, of seeing the lights flickering on and off in the mess hall and crew quarters of deck four, of the power burnout in the main circuit bay, the damage to the deflector dish,-"

Phil held up a hand to stall her. "Stop it, Una. I know the ship's in a bad condition, I just don't want to hear it out loud at the moment," he said wearily, his tone soft and kind as he gently steered her in the direction of the airlock. "I'm surprised SFC even let us leave the queue and warp off in the first place."

OOOOOO

Christopher Pike groaned when he awoke in sickbay for the third time during a short amount of time. The place was familiar yet strangely unfamiliar. The smell of antiseptics always made him grimace and the sterile room always made his mood plummet. However, strangely he preferred being the one with injuries and not the one standing next to the biobed wishing for someone to be well. He hated seeing people under his command being sick, injured or even worse – dead. It meant he'd failed them somehow and he didn't like that.

Chris chuckled lightly as he thought about Phil. His friend and doctor would hit the roof when he saw the new entry in his medical file. Severe phaser burn to left-hand side of his torso, hairline fracture in several ribs, two cracked ones, and an internal bleeding that would have killed him if Doctor Pollard hadn't whisked him into theatre and stopped it.

He could tell she was angry at him but he couldn't really understand why. He had saved a child and it had felt good to do it although afterwards he was a little peaky, stiff and sore.

OOOOOO

"Number One," Lieutenant Nicola called over his shoulder, with a hint of surprise in his voice. "I'm picking up a distress call. It's faint and irregular but-"

Una turned around in the captain's chair and frowned.

"It makes no sense, ma'am, but it's Starfleet," he reported as he turned to look at her with a look of confusion etched on his face.

She marvelled at the words briefly. This had been considered the rim of the galaxy as they knew it when the Starbase had been built all those years ago. No one had ever set foot this far out in space, at least not anyone from the fleet. Nowadays Starfleet had established two pretty heavily trafficked corridors in the area although the nearest planet system had been left alone, uncharted mostly because of the values botanists, field geologists and historians had found down there. The third planet was suited for human population but it was off-limit.

Una didn't doubt that someone would try to head back down there and repopulate the Minshara class planet despite the restrictions when everything that had been destroyed in the war had been restored and rebuilt all around the Federation territory.

Her mood darkened somewhat as she straightened and worked out the kinks in her back. The Enterprise was just about to head back to the Sol system. She hadn't expected, nor did she want, to deal with something unknown without backup.

"You're right, lieutenant," she mused. "It makes no sense at all."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	2. The Missing Piece

**Chapter Two**

 _The Missing Piece_

'It was not in his nature to give up.'

At least that's what he'd led himself to believe during all the years as a trained officer in Starfleet. Now, he wasn't so sure. He'd started seeing things, he'd eaten something that he probably shouldn't have been eaten and the water in the lake nearby was probably upsetting his stomach in more ways than one.

'At least I am still alive,' Gabriel thought wearily as he stared at the beacon before him that had been haphazardly put together with parts from various things he'd managed to salvage in the wreckage of the stolen shuttle pod.

The man who'd been assisting him in escaping, what he'd first thought to be his sealed fate, at the mercy of a horrific version of a fellow captain called Philippa Georgiou had died almost instantly in the crash. He estimated that it all took place little over a month ago and he'd had no real hope of surviving on his own this long but obviously miracles still happened.

'Or perhaps it was a curse,' he pondered dejectedly as he felt a twinge deep down in the pit of his stomach.

He was living on borrowed time, his ship and crew were long gone, he was sure of that. Their faces haunted him at nights, their tortured screams. Especially Ensign DeFalco's who'd been tortured to death in front of the rest of the bridge crew at the hands of the Klingon boarding party.

Something had happened back there, he still pondered it at times, something that made it impossible for the Klingons to beam off the _Buran_ and so they'd forced him to come with them, hoping to board a shuttle and bring him back as some kind of trophy. Judging by their rough handling he feared they'd leave his body on his ship and only bring his head back to their master.

Captain Gabriel Lorca refused to go down that way. There had to be a way to get them off, a way to save his ship and crew from certain doom, he just couldn't think of any at that moment. In an effort to do something he'd struck his captor with a glancing blow and narrowly escaped being incinerated by a phaser for his efforts. With a third degree burn running the full length of his thigh he made it to the transporter room on sheer willpower alone. He'd all but dragged himself up on the pad and by some twisted miracle managed to beam off the ship – or so he'd thought.

The former captain of the _USS Buran_ laughed sardonically as he glanced down the now healed thigh. The injury wasn't visible through the thick layer of black fabric of his prison uniform but the frayed nerve ends in the scar tissue told him all was not well.

'If I had known, maybe I'd stayed behind,' he thought bitterly.

As it was he had no idea how long he'd been back or even if he was in the right universe at all. He didn't know the outcome of the war or if the war was still raging through the galaxy. For all he knew he could be picked up by the enemy, if he would be picked up at all.

Gabriel gingerly lowered himself into a homemade chair and closed his eyes. He was tired and he'd probably contracted some kind of bug of late as he felt his strengths slowly leaving him.

'So, it was all for nothing,' he mused. He'd been to hell and back only to die alone on some forlorn rock where no one would ever find him. The irony was grating on his nerves and this time he allowed himself to give in; to lose it.

Captain Lorca began to laugh and he continued to do so as the transmitter suddenly chirped. Static filled the air as the broken speaker crackled to life and a female voice came over the line. He fell silent, a chill running down his spine at first as he recognized the language the woman was speaking – it was English.

Lorca openly stared at the device in front of him, disbelief written all over his face.

 _"-You're operating with property of Starfleet, we've registered your distress beacon."_ The woman explained through the static. _"Please identify yourself."_

He swallowed, his mouth was dry and he hadn't really used his voice for weeks.

 _"This is the USS Enterprise, repeat, we've picked up your distress call. Please identify-"_

He gaped in amazement, not entirely sure the message was real or if it was some sick delusion his mind had concocted. With a shaking hand he reached for the transmitter and hoped he'd managed to assemble the parts correctly. He was, after all, not a communications officer and he wasn't even good at building gadgets but he knew the basics from his extensive training. "Lorca, Gabriel," he croaked and grimaced in dismay at the sound of his hoarse voice. "Serial number SC0013-8483SHN."

OOOOOO

Number One came close to ask him to repeat but by the looks on the faces of the rest of her bridge crew it seemed they'd heard a ghost too. She nodded at her tactical officer. "Can we get a lock on him?"

"Actually, ma'am, his life-signs aren't registering through the thick atmosphere," he replied regrettably.

Una sighed. "Captain Lorca," she said over the open channel. "I must say you took me by surprise."

There was a crackle over the com channel but nothing more and for a moment she feared she'd been imagining everything. "Captain Lorca, please respond," she said and turned toward the communications expert behind her.

"I'm sorry but I can't clear away any more of the distortions," Nicola said by way of answer to her unspoken question.

 _"I'm still here,"_ came the faint reply. _"I'm not sure who's more surprised, you or me."_

His tone was light but strained and for a moment she pictured him with a smile on his face. Suddenly afraid to lose him after actually finding the long lost captain she quickly got out of her chair and nodded toward her tactical officer. "You're with me. I'm taking a shuttle to the surface," she said resolutely.

"Commander," Lieutenant Amin, the now acting XO began carefully.

"Captain Lorca, I'm coming to get you, please give me more exact coordinates as to your location if you are able too. Something is interfering with the ship's scanners," Una said. "I don't wish to spend days trying to pinpoint you."

Gabriel Lorca, leant on a supply box he'd managed to drag out of the wreckage several miles from his present location and slowly opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them in the first place. _"I'll do my best,"_ he assured her.

With a longing he gazed up into the sky, a renewed hope lighting his troubled soul. He shook from a slight fever but quickly managed to send another message for the shuttle to pick up when it was inside the atmosphere. Then he gently reached into the supply box and groped at its bottom until he found what he was looking for. Gabriel broke into a large grin as his fingers closed around the scratched and bloodied Starfleet insignia that he'd managed to keep in his possession. He carefully retrieved it and sighed with relief as he sagged against the box. He turned it in his hand and stared at his name then he closed the hand around it and closed his eyes. He was finally going home.

OOOOOO

"Admiral Cornwell," one of her assistants said with a hesitant smile. "You have a long distance call. It's from the _Enterprise_."

Katrina frowned in confusion as she sat behind her desk with a data pad in hand. "Is something the matter?" she asked. "Last time I heard from her acting captain everything was fine."

"She refuses to tell me anything, ma'am," the young ensign replied. "She requests to speak with you urgently and in private"

Katrina was even more confused than before as she nodded absentmindedly and reluctantly put the data pad down before her. "I'll accept it," she said.

The ensign hesitated and then added cryptically. "It's an Alpha Omega message, ma'am, and it's waiting for you in the secure ready room."

The Admiral felt a chill run down her spine, Alpha Omega meant it was a message for her eyes only with high priority and the highest security clearance. Despite the assurances of her assistant she instantly knew something was wrong. It must have been some sort of incident. Katrina took a deep breath and rose from her chair. She strode out in the hallway and set a brisk pace toward the ready room.

A minute later, when her identity had been confirmed, as well as the identity of the caller, the black screen morphed into a picture of a younger woman with dark brown hair and a slightly tanned complexion that somehow matched perfectly with the stark yellow color of her uniform jacket.

 _"Admiral,"_ the Lieutenant Commander said politely.

Katrina nodded. "Commander," she acknowledged, almost afraid of what was to come. They couldn't afford to lose Christopher Pike or the _USS Discovery_ , not after everything that ship had been through.

Una appeared troubled for a moment, as if hesitant to speak.

"Is it about the _Discovery_ or Chris?" Katrina finally asked, thinking they were unable to call themselves.

Una shook her head. _"No, ma'am, it's neither. The news is quite remarkable and I dare to say; wonderful. I am sorry but there is no simple way to say this so I'll just go ahead and say it."_

Katrina eagerly waited for her to continue.

 _"As of two hours ago the Enterprise picked up a distress beacon, not a standard issue but nevertheless Starfleet. I feared it was a trap set by the Klingons before the end of the war in an effort to lure a ship near but-"_

The Admiral frowned.

 _"I'm hereby informing you that we've retrieved Captain Gabriel Lorca from the M-class planet next to the warp corridor leading to Starbase two. The distress beacon was very faint and didn't broadcast very far, it was only by luck that we managed to pick it up. He's alive although far from well but our CMO is fairly certain he can keep him alive until we've returned to Starbase-"_

"No," Katrina said and shook her head, still not sure she'd heard the other woman correctly but if she had there was no way she would let her drop Gabriel off. "You'll bring him here, to Earth, to Starfleet Medical."

 _"There will be questions, Admiral,"_ Una reasoned. _"People would want to know why the Enterprise is hightailing it back to the Sol system and take up orbit around Earth, especially in her state. They'll fear an attack upon Earth is imminent. We can transfer him off ship at space dock but then we'll have to make his presence known."_

Katrina sighed in frustration. "I guess you're right," she concurred. "You'll notify me when you're closing in on Starbase two and I'll take it from there. In fact, I'll do one better and meet you there, then I'll personally see to it that Gabriel is transferred back to Earth."

 _"I know the two of you were close, Admiral,"_ Una said by way of apology. _"I just hope you see it from my point of view."_

"I do, commander," she admitted seriously. "I just wasn't prepared for the news you brought me. As a tactician I guess I should have been. However, as you said. Gabriel and I are close and I like to keep my friends close to me if I can."

OOOOOO

"He seems like such a nice guy," Tilly said cheerfully as she sat down next to Michael in the mess hall. "I mean, he's the captain of the flagship. I thought he would be stiff and stern and all military."

Michael sighed in exasperation but then shook her head and couldn't help but to smile amusedly at her friend's confusion. "Come on now, just because you're a starship captain doesn't mean you have to lose your humor and friendliness. In fact, those things are important for crew moral," she reasoned.

Tilly sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I wasn't prepared for it, that's all," she said dejectedly. "I mean, Captain Lorca wasn't really-" she caught herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I know you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. He was the one to take you on board and all. Just ignore me, I'm babbling again."

Michael shook her head. "Tilly," she said fondly. "It's okay. Besides, I don't know Captain Lorca at all, none of us do. As far as I am concerned he was never here."

Tilly shuddered at the cold words spoken by her friend. "Gives me the creeps, you know, just the thought of him not even being from this universe."

"What gets me is the fact that no one bothered to call on his bluff," Michael mused sadly. "Yet, in a way, I suppose I am grateful to him. He did manage to get me out of the prison."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	3. Troubling News

**Chapter Three**

 _Troubling News_

Doctor Philip Boyce glanced out the door from his office situated at the back of the large state of the art infirmary section of the _Enterprise_ as the doors swooshed open. He smiled warmly as he caught a glimpse of the Admiral as she spotted him and began to make her way across the room.

A long time ago when Boyce had been younger and Cornwell a newly graduated student he'd been her mentor at Starfleet Medical back in San Francisco. She'd been ambitious and hungry to learn about the human mind and soul; about counseling. He'd cautioned her that he was merely a physician and not an expert in her field. Katrina had smiled at that and told him he was doing fine and that she appreciated his company, that he took time for her and saw to it that she got the help she needed. A year later Katrina had moved on to fully train as a psychologist and she'd been good at it. Then one day she'd simply vanished from Medical and, after tracking her down, he'd found her in the lower ranks of Starfleet Command. He had asked her how she could throw away a perfectly good career on a whim but she'd smiled at him and told him she wasn't satisfied with just counseling other people, she wanted more.

Boyce had accepted her reply and followed her career at a distance, still proud of his old pupil and what she'd become.

"Philip," she said warmly as she embraced him in a hug.

"Katrina," he replied fondly. "It's been a long time."

She nodded sadly and took a step back.

The old doctor looked at her with concern, it had been a long time since he'd last seen her so indecisive and upset as she was at the moment – of course people who didn't know her would never pick up on it but he could easily see through her façade.

Katrina glanced around the room until her eyes landed on a very familiar figure in a secluded area of the large sickbay, not too far away from the old doctor's office.

Boyce followed her gaze toward his newest patient and sighed inwardly. "An enigma," my junior doctor called him," he said softly.

"Philip," she said kindly as she stole yet another glance at the unconscious form of Gabriel Lorca. "Are you sure it's really him?"

He nodded, there was no hesitation on his part. "Admiral I understand your doubts but I can assure you that this man is our Gabriel Lorca. I've documented everything, the scrapes from his youth are there again, the ones no regeneration of the skin can ever hide, the ones that seemed to have disappeared when he was retrieved from what was left of the _USS Buran_."

Katrina Cornwell let out a shaky breath as she dared to hope again. "So my Gabriel is dead?" her own words echoed in her head, they had for a long time now, ever since she'd uttered them the first time; ever since she'd learned about the impostor wearing his face.

"Katrina," Philip said softly to call on her attention. "It really is Captain Lorca," he assured her. "Go and sit with him for a moment but, please, don't expect him to wake up any time soon. I'll brief you on his condition when you're ready."

Kat hesitated for a moment at the edge of the biobed. She took another glance at the monitors as if to ensure herself that the man before her really was, if not well, but alive. The good old Doctor Boyce nodded at her with a small smile as if to encourage her, to instill in her the lack of confidence she was currently displaying.

Philip sighed and wearily reached up to rub his forehead as he turned away from his old friend and his patient. He didn't personally know Gabriel Lorca but one look at Katrina's face told him she held dearly of the man despite everything that had happened. The fact remained, however, that the captain had a long road of recovery ahead of him and not only that but he had to endure the wrath of people he didn't know. He had to, somehow, answer for what his counterpart had done even though it wasn't fair of any of the others to ask that of him.

The simple truth was that Lorca would have to fight hard just to regain the trust from the rest of the Fleet and to rebuild the bonds the other man had broken. The old doctor shuddered, he just hoped that the captain would be able to do so and he hoped that everything he'd endured while waiting for the rescue hadn't been for nothing.

Phil shook his head sadly as he began to walk toward his office, the thoughts of another captain suddenly on his mind, his captain and friend – Christopher Pike. The crew of the _Enterprise_ was still on the mend from their mysterious encounter with a phenomena no one had ever seen before. The ship's systems were continuing to malfunction. As late as last night all the replicators in the mess hall been overloading, creating a cascading system error on the entire deck. Several crewmen had been injured in the commotion but no one had ended up being fatally wounded.

Boyce sighed as he sat down in his office chair. He was feeling old all of a sudden and dejected. He still couldn't phantom what had transpired while they'd been away on their deep space exploration. That there had been a war between the Federation and the Klingons, started by an incident at a Binary star system by Philippa Georgiou's XO. The woman who happened to be the adopted sister to Spock of all people. Philip reached up with his palms to rub his forehead as he felt the beginning of a headache.

"Spock," he whispered sadly as he recalled that the Vulcan had left the ship earlier without much of an explanation. "What happened to you?"

Christopher hadn't been very talkative the following day after his science officer had left the ship. Philip remembered that clearly. In fact the captain had looked agitated and frustrated but he hadn't called him on it. Chris could be stubborn at times, like the time just before the kidnapping on Talos IV when he'd practically told him he'd resign, that life as a Starfleet captain wasn't anything for him.

The doctor had huffed at that. Pike was the definition of a Starfleet captain. He was kind, diplomatic and caring of others. He could also be a soldier when required and he was a splendid tactician. The fact remained; unless he hadn't been so good at his job Starfleet would never have trusted him with the Flagship of the Fleet.

Now Boyce could only hope he would see his captain again, alive. The 'Red Angel' had only created chaos so far and the doctor felt threatened by it. The crew of the _Discovery_ had been through a lot and they'd been duped by the mirror image of the man now occupying one of the beds in his sickbay. He knew Christopher was good with people and easy to trust but he was still worried. Even if the captain wouldn't hesitate to do everything in his power to make sure his crew was all right it wasn't necessarily the other way around and Philip only regretted he couldn't be there to look after him.

OOOOOO

Una sighed in frustration, her hands gripping the consoles of the captain's chair as the _Enterprise_ suddenly dropped out of warp. "Report," she demanded.

"I have no power," the helmsman replied with frown. "Not even thrusters."

"We're starting to drift," Lieutenant Amin cautioned.

"Engineering," Una shouted through the now open com channel. "What's going on?"

 _"Another system malfunction, ma'am,"_ Louvier shouted to make himself heard over the klaxons. _"It's cascading thorough the ship!"_

Una jumped as something sparked in front of her.

The helmsman gasped as he was jolted out of his seat, his console exploding. Lieutenant Amin quickly made her way over to tend to her colleague.

"Bridge to sickbay, medical emergency!" Lieutenant Nicola shouted as Una took up her conversation with the chief engineer. "Can we make it to the Starbase?"

 _"Negative, Number One,"_ Louvier replied curtly. _"At least not at once. We're operating with good old flashlights down here at the moment, the bulkheads have closed off several sections. I have injured crewmen here."_

"Have you notified sickbay?" she asked seriously.

 _"Yes, ma'am, I'll get back to you as soon as I know more."_

Una stared at the communications panel on her armrest for a moment and then got out of her chair and knelt next to the acting helmsman, her own regular position when Chris was onboard. "DePaul?" she asked softly. "You'll be all right, just calm down and take deep breaths. A medic will be here shortly to tend to you."

OOOOOO

Katrina Cornwell steadied herself on the edge of the biobed next to Gabriel and frowned in confusion as the _Enterprise_ began a rapid deceleration and, had she not been gripping the frame of the bed so hard that her knuckles was turning white, she would have been thrown to the floor as the ship veered hard to port only to come to a complete stop a few seconds later. The lights dimmed almost immediately in the room and a low warning klaxon sounded for Red Alert.

Katrina took one last look at Gabriel who seemed to be oblivious to his surroundings before she hastily left the room in order to get to the bridge. Stepping out in the corridor of deck five her ears where assaulted by the much higher klaxon that seemed to echo through the small space, creating a funnel effect. Red lights flashed angrily and crewmen and officers alike dashed toward designated areas. The Admiral reached the turbolift and got in. She quickly grabbed the stick in order to engage the elevator. "Bridge," she commanded.

A moment later she stepped out in a rather calm environment, the klaxons had been turned off and the red light muted in the background. Una glanced at her as she made her way over to the injured man.

"What's happening?" the Admiral demanded.

"Multiple malfunctions in several systems at once," the commander reported dutifully. "We have injured crewmen across the ship, engineering reports the drive system is down. At this point we're dead in the water."

The Admiral sighed. She knew the _Enterprise_ was in need for an overhaul and extensive repairs, still, when Pike had assured her they'd make it to the rendezvous with the _Discovery_ on their own and that the systems appeared to be working properly at the time, she'd expected that the trip to Starbase two would be an uneventful one.

"Shields are down!" the junior tactical officer shouted suddenly.

"Send a priority one distress call," Number One replied calmly. "As soon as we have even an ounce of power we're diverting to space dock San Francisco. I don't care how many ships there are in line we'll park on top of a smaller vessel if we have too. Admiral Cornwell, before we arrive I can have a shuttle ready for departure. If you let one of my pilots accompany you and put it directly into orbit you can safely transport Captain Lorca and yourself directly to Starbase Medical before we dock. That way I hope to avoid putting him on public display."

A faint smile appeared on the older woman's face. She'd underestimated the cunning of Christopher Pike's XO. In order to satisfy both the _Enterprise's_ needs and Captain Lorca's Una chose to contact SFC directly and Starfleet Medical on a secure channel. Katrina nodded in appreciation. She should have known, she should have expected this. This was not a science vessel with a basic trained crew only, this was the Flagship. She'd somehow forgotten that, lost her faith in the powers of humankind during the war. This was Christopher's ship, a man in which she had absolute confidence and faith.

"Thanks, Commander," Kat managed. "If you need me I'll be in sickbay."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	4. Limits

**Chapter Four**

 _Limits_

He had the strangest dreams of shapes and forms he couldn't even begin to understand, much less describe. He still marveled about the place and yet he'd only passed through the zone for a brief moment in time. Small things, like insects, had started to attack the shuttle, they'd seemed vicious as they pinged off the hull. He had thrown a worried glance at his newfound friend from the ship but the man had seemed undisturbed by the phenomena. Instead of being concerned he'd been hunched over the oversized console in the aft compartment. He adjusted something and then several small blue shapes filled the air around them. The 'mycelial network' the astromycologist Justin Straal had called it with a large grin on his face.

Apparently Straal and a colleague had started experimenting with a drive unit that could take a ship from one place to another across the galaxy within a moment using this unorthodox propulsion system. It seemed to Lorca like it was alive. Then the magic moment passed in a blur and was replaced by a tremendous force that seemed to throw them through time and dimension as the little vessel passed through an energy barrier. The energy field wreaked havoc with the systems onboard the shuttle, depleting the engines, frying the electrical systems and venting atmosphere. If they hadn't appeared so close to the lush and seemingly uninhabited planet their lives would have ended far sooner. For Justin Straal life had ended prematurely as he'd been crushed against a bulkhead in the crash. Lorca had awoken several days after the event, according to the shuttle's time recorder, to find his comrade dead.

Gabriel blinked his heavy eyelids open to a completely unknown surrounding and frowned. It wasn't that he wasn't used to sickbay, it was just that this was particular sickbay was not any sickbay he'd been visiting before. It seemed too large to be a ship yet too small to be part of the medical wing at Starbase 11 or Starfleet Medical back in San Francisco. He tilted his head to look around for a window but instead his eyes landed on Katrina Cornwell who was seated in a chair next to him. He frowned in confusion as the last thing he remembered was ungracefully collapsing in the arms of the _Enterprise's_ XO back on the planet. 'The _Enterprise_ ,' he mused. 'He was onboard the flagship.'

Kat blushed, something she never did these days, as she realized she was openly staring at her old friend and lover. "I'm sorry," she mumbled and slowly turned her head to look at her hands.

To her surprise Gabriel seemed somewhat amused at her display of affections. "It must have been – what? – Fifteen years since I saw you blush," he said softly although his voice sounded strained.

She shook her head and chuckled bitterly for a moment and then shrugged as she turned to look at him again. "I- I'm sorry if I appear a bit distracted. It's just that I don't know what's real and what's not anymore or whom to trust these days."

Lorca laughed but it was without mirth. "I'd expected that to be my line," he mused seriously. "I didn't in my wildest dreams expect to enter a mirror universe, although, I did know of its existence since I had access to the files involving USS Defiant."

Kat shook her head sadly. "They all died, Gabriel, they never lived to tell what it was like but you and parts of your crew-" she caught herself as she realized what she'd been about to say.

It was his time to look away. "My crew," he contemplated darkly. "What happened to them, Kat?"

The Admiral stiffened at the depth of his voice, the coldness of it and the darkness of his blue eyes. For a moment she was back in his cabin that day onboard the _Discovery_. The resemblance to his counterpart was making her uneasy but then it was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared.

"Kat. The Klingons. Did they murder my crew?"

She hesitated.

"They did, didn't they? Those bastards killed everyone onboard the _Buran_ in an effort to-"

"Please stop, Gabriel," she said softly. With a pang of regret she realized that there was so much he didn't know. It was so much he was supposed to know, so much he was supposed to have done.

"Every day I hoped to be found," he said dejectedly as he glanced away. "You must have known I disappeared, didn't you? God, Kat, I didn't die."

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "Gabe," she began sadly, regretfully. "There is so much you need to know."

He turned to look at her once again, his piercing blue eyes admonishing, accusing her somehow.

"Let's forget about that now," she managed with a faint smile. "Just rest and try to get better, stronger."

"There is something about the way you look at me, Kat," he said. "Something's happened."

"I thought you were dead," she replied.

He shook his head. "No, there is more to it. Kat, please I need to know."

She exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping, her eyes downcast.

Gabriel reached out a hand to gently lift her chin up so that she was facing him. "What?" he asked softly.

OOOOOO

Una sighed and grimaced as she closed the hatch beneath the science station on the bridge and got up from the floor. She stared at her stained, possibly ruined, yellow tunic with dismay.

"They're not as handy as the blue ones," Ensign Rosh, the tactical officer, offered with a smirk as he, too, got up from the floor.

"Do we have shields now?" she asked.

"Give me a minute ma'am," he replied as he let his fingers fly over the panel before him. He gave her a nod with a faint grin on his lips. "They're coming back online now."

She breathed a sigh of relief. 'Typical of Christopher to leave in a time like this,' she mulled. To embark on some fancy assignment without them, without her in particular.

"Commander," Lieutenant Nicola spoke up. "We're being hailed by the medical vessel _SS Antares_."

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "Is that the best they can do?" she muttered sourly under her breath.

"Another vessel just dropped out of warp!" Amin called. "It's the _USS Pegasus_."

"Split screen," Una replied.

A moment later both captains appeared on the view screen before her.

A polished and laid back man in his fifties with an upward curl to his lips looked at her and appeared to be somewhat amused. _"Una,"_ he began in a light voice. _"What is Starfleet's finest doing in the middle of nowhere acting like a sitting duck?"_

Una smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Rub it in Captain Rodgers," she said sternly yet her tone was light and teasing. The captain of the sister ship to the _Enterprise_ was a well-respected officer and a good friend of Pike.

The slightly younger captain of the medical vessel harrumphed and then gently spoke up. _"It is not often we're receiving a distress call from a Constitution class ship, ma'am. My name is Captain Harrold Paule, I'll offer assistance in every way I can."_

"Please, stand by, both of you," Una said. "We're currently ferrying Admiral Cornwell and a special medical patient. If we need assistance with that I'll get back to you, Captain Paule."

She nodded at the communication's officer and the screen switched to displaying only Captain Robert Rodgers of the _USS Pegasus_.

 _"Where is Pike by the way?"_ Rodgers asked casually. _"I'd expected him to take this call, no pun intended, Commander."_

"The captain is not on board," she replied cryptically. "Would it be possible to lend me a hand down in engineering? I would like to get power back online."

OOOOOO

Katrina Cornwell rubbed her tired eyes and sighed in frustration. She didn't mind Captain Rodgers, quite the opposite, but she didn't need him to meddle into this and she wasn't ready to explain the presence of Captain Gabriel Lorca to anyone else at this time. For a moment she'd contemplated bringing Gabriel on board the smaller medical vessel but had then decided against it. While _SS Antares_ was on her way to Starfleet Medical to get supplies to a remote colony she didn't deem it safe enough for Lorca. In fact she'd almost found it to be a welcomed respite not to arrive back at San Francisco too soon. That gave her more time to talk to Gabriel herself before he was whisked away.

She glanced up from the data pad she'd been studying as the doorbell rang.

"Enter," she said.

"So this is where you're hiding," Doctor Boyce said as he walked up to the desk and sat down opposite her. "I see he didn't bring much with him."

Katrina glanced around Pike's ready room and noticed for the first time that nothing seemed to be missing. Her eyes landed upon a picture of the bridge crew smiling at the camera and frowned. "I believe he expected the mission to be a short one; as did I," she offered.

Boyce sighed. "Yeah, if life was ever that simple," he mused lightly with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'd like to think both of you would have learnt by now that isn't the case."

"Titbits of the famous Doctor Boyce wisdom?" the admiral asked innocently.

"Can't hurt," he offered with a shrug. "Look, I've been meaning to talk to you but it seems you still like to occupy yourself."

Cornwell broke into a sly grin. "In an effort to keep from dealing with my demons," she admitted. "I believe you told me that back at the academy."

Boyce nodded. "Kat," he began seriously. "I can't imagine what it's been like for you back home especially not when all hell broke loose; the war and everything that brought to your doorstep."

The admiral nodded sadly. "We lost a lot of good people," she admitted in a subdued voice. "But I refuse to lose hope and I refuse to lose Gabriel now that I've finally found him."

"Yes, he's the reason I've come to see you," Phil admitted. "I don't have to tell you that he's going to need psychology sessions."

Katrina sighed and looked away for a moment.

"However, as strange as it sounds, it' not his mind that I'm mostly concerned about," Phil said seriously. "Captain Lorca has been suffering from hallucinations, yesterday he woke up in the middle of the night, screaming for someone named Straal to get out of the way. I can't even begin to phantom what he's been through. You and I both know that SFC is going to interrogate him not once, not twice-"

Katrina held up her hand to stall him and shook her head sadly.

Philip sighed and ran a hand through his white hair as he sat down in the chair opposite her. "You asked about his eyesight. There is nothing wrong with his eyes but with his leg."

The admiral held her breath and expectantly waited for him to continue.

"There is a rather severe injury to his left thigh that has been healed by now. The injury was left unattended and it's a miracle he didn't die from it in the first place. It's a phaser wound that left the tissue deeply scarred and short-circuited several nerve ends. If I'm to guess I'd say he can't walk properly without a limp. I can't say at this moment if it's fixable or not and by the look on your face you are well aware of what that means."

Her eyes darkened and she nodded. "He will be retired-," she deduced. "-as he's seen unfit for command."

"And given his actions during the war-," the doctor began, emphasizing the word his, the SFC might feel an obligation to the people to sacrifice him-"

Katrina shook her head. "You forget that he was portrayed as a war hero by the Federation in order to keep up appearance, as was the rest of the officers on board the _Discovery_."

"None of us are naïve, Katrina," Boyce replied darkly. "That was when they thought they'd be able to keep a lid on it and he'd been reported KIA. Starfleet Command will go to the bottom with his disappearance and it's enough that one crewman on board the _Discovery_ tells someone, anyone, back on Earth the true story for this to turn into a full blown investigation by the press."

"Which is why we've sent the _Discovery_ away," she reminded him seriously. "To aid Captain Pike in finding the origin of the seven red signals."

"I wish you'd kept Chris out of this," Boyce added wearily. "He's been through enough as it is."

"He's the one and only captain who can unite the crew of that ship," she said with confidence.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	5. Slip Ups

**Chapter Five**

 _Slip Ups_

When Gabriel Lorca woke up next time he felt lethargic and worn. His mind felt disturbingly sluggish and the headache he'd been nursing when he spoke to Kat had doubled in intensity.

"Doctor, please, I'm fine," Lorca tried in vain as the meticulous young man took another test.

Gabriel bit his lower lip as he tried to ignore the whirring of the medical tricorder above his head. He glanced across the small room he was occupying and into a larger bay and finally found a window. The stars twinkled as there was no warp streak phenomena and to his surprise he couldn't feel the steady hum of engines vibrating beneath his bed.

"Doctor," he began.

"M'Benga, sir," the man said by way of introduction as he gave him a tight smile before turning back to read his instruments.

"Tell me. I was contacted by a woman, Number One. She came from one of the larger ships-," he trailed off for a moment. 'think Gabriel think', he admonished himself. "-a constitution class-"

"Yes, the _USS Enterprise_ , sir. You're still on board. This is a secluded area of the main sickbay," the doctor explained kindly. "How's your headache?"

Lorca grunted. "Manageable," he said cryptically. "Is this ship running without engines?"

"Then I'll add a painkiller in your next hypo," M'Benga said without preamble. "And, no. The _Enterprise_ is suffering from multiple system failures across the entire ship. We're currently on our way back to port."

"I see," Lorca mused wearily. "Is there any chance for me to have a word with your captain? I realize he must be busy with everything that's going on but I'd like to thank him for finding me."

"Captain Pike is on board your ship-" M'Benga trailed off and looked somewhat ashamed as he faced the injured captain. "I'm sorry, it's-"

"It's all right, doctor," Lorca assured him although he was momentarily confused by the statement. 'The _Buran_ was gone, or wasn't it? Did Kat lie to him? Why would Captain Pike be on board his vessel in a moment like this when the _Enterprise_ was obviously crippled and in need of repair?' he wondered.

OOOOOO

Philip Boyce crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his captain materialize on the transporter pad. He gave the younger man a moment to steady himself and walk off the platform.

"You've been gone for less than a week and in that short amount of time you've managed to injure yourself badly, change back into that awful blue uniform and-"

Pike raised his hand and waved lazily at his old friend. "It's nice to see you too, Phil," he drawled sarcastically. "How did you know about that anyway?"

"You know, all those white hairs that I have," the CMO said cunningly. "It's your doing."

Chris smirked and shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not going to fall for that one, it started at the Academy. Must have been all your medical cadets."

"Sure," Boyce stated cunningly as he gently patted Pike on the right side of his chest, eliciting a protective stance and a grimace from his friend and commanding officer.

"Do no harm. Remember? Or did you skip that Hippocratic Oath you were supposed to take?" the captain asked softly yet the undertone of his voice was strained.

"Why in the world, Chris, did you decide it was a good idea to tackle an overloading phaser?" Boyce asked, completely ignoring the captain's remark.

"What was I supposed to do? Watch the little kid get blown to pieces?" he asked wearily.

Phil shrugged. "Fair point, but still. I don't like it," he said.

"For the record," Pike replied softly. "I didn't like it either."

Phil laughed. "It's good to have you back. Even if it's just for a little while. One of my old cadets wants a word with you."

Pike arched a curious eyebrow. "Admiral Cornwell?" he asked then added innocently. "Is she the one who gave you white hairs?"

"You know, when your next scheduled medical comes up you're in for a battery of tests and then some," Boyce drawled.

OOOOOO

Katrina Cornwell was pacing back and forth across the small ready room as the door finally opened to reveal the captain.

"You're going to wear a hole in my carpet, Admiral," Pike said as he offered her a kind smile.

She snorted. "How's _Discovery_?" she asked and then took a moment to study him. "How are you?"

"I believe the crew is a little suspicious of me-," he began seriously. "-but they're a bright bunch. I can see why Captain Lorca handpicked those particular people to-,"

"The impostor," Cornwell corrected steely.

"My apologies, I'm not sure what to call him," Pike said wearily as he ran a hand through his thick hair.

The admiral wasn't too pleased but decided to let him off the hook. "You have reengaged the spore drive," she stated.

Pike nodded. "We had too in order to follow the red signal," he explained as he gingerly sat down on the sofa.

Kat smirked and made to sit down next to him, turning a little so that she could look at him. "What have you done to yourself, Chris?" she asked kindly with slight concern in her steady voice.

He waved her concern away as he stiffly leaned back against the pillows. "We found an entire society," he said seriously. "The 'red angel' somehow moved them there, saved them from a certain death during the third world war."

"That's impossible," Kat mused.

Pike sighed. "I thought so too at first but now I'm not so sure," he replied.

"So, first it led you to a crashed medical freighter, the _SS Hiawatha_. Then it led you to the mysterious planet the inhabitants call Terralysium," she reasoned. "Why?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know. We'll just have to wait for the next one to appear and see where that leads us."

The Admiral nodded absentmindedly.

"You seem awfully distracted. Has something happened?" he asked kindly, his voice soft.

She sighed and leaned back in the sofa. "I'm both relieved and terrified at once," she said in a subdued voice.

He frowned and patiently waited for her to continue. Katrina Cornwell was a solid, rocksteady woman, it must be something extraordinary if it had her terrified.

"It's-" she shrugged and then ran a hand through her hair. "Chris, its Gabe. Gabriel Lorca. He's on board your ship. Una found him at Ebaba. I don't know how long he's been there. Damn it, for all we know he could have been there for months."

"Will you be all right?" he asked seriously, his voice caring and full of concern for her.

She managed a mirthless chuckle. "I'm fine, Chris. I am more worried about him. According to Starfleet he's deceased. He died heroically while saving his ship during the battle with the Klingons. It was the only way to rectify his honor; the only way to make up for all the bad things the impostor did," she said dejectedly.

Chris grimaced as he leaned forward. "And now he's back and Starfleet Command don't know what to do with him?" he guessed.

She shook her head. "They don't know yet. They're in for a surprise," she said with a sly smile and then nodded at Chris's chest with a serious expression on her face. "You should have that tended to."

It was Pike's time to shake his head. "There's nothing that can be done. It'll heal in a few days," he replied.

Kat smirked. "There is no need for you to be in pain," she reasoned. "Even though it makes you feel better."

He looked up at her in surprise.

"A little pain and suffering is not good for the soul, Chris," she chided. "And what were you thinking anyway?"

"The kid was going to be blown into pieces," he reasoned.

Kat nodded. "That might have been true," she concurred. "However, you're a little too important for the success of this mission to try something as stupid as that."

He hung his head with a sheepish look on his face.

Kat smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "Get off this ship, Chris. Una and I'll handle the situation here. I trust you to take care of the _Discovery_ and solve the mystery with the red signals."

Pike nodded resolutely as he gingerly got out of the sofa. "Till we meet again then, admiral," he said and left the room.

"One more thing, Chris," she said in a no nonsense tone. "Stop throwing yourself in harm's way. Nothing good will ever come out of that."

OOOOOO

 _"Did you really kill Burnham? Did you really kill Burnham? Really kill, really kill…" Ellen Landry's voice was a mix of curiosity and disbelief as she untied his hands._

 _He shook his head, grimacing as it sent a jolt of pain across his temples that had the power of splitting his head into two as stars exploded in his vision._

 _"She was practically your confidant, your anchor,-" Landry smirked and eyed him cunningly as she moved on to untie his feet. "Perhaps even your lover?"_

 _"How can you even suggest such a thing?" he wondered aloud._

 _He knew no one named Burnham but he knew Philippa Georgiou had a promising XO named Michael Burnham. The woman had come up in a long forgotten conversation with Kat. A conversation he'd been sworn to secrecy never to reveal to anyone. His friend and even lover at some points in life, Katrina Cornwell, was a counsellor. It was inevitable that she felt the need to share some things with him occasionally as he did with her. Michael Burnham had been orphaned after a very savage and_ _brutal attack upon her parent's house when she was ten. She'd hidden in the closet but she'd still heard everything; the screams, the sickening sound as Klingon Bath'let's sliced through flesh and phaser firing. The child had gotten the shock of her life and had later been brought to Vulcan and raised at the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek's house. She had grown into a very promising woman and Starfleet officer courtesy of the Vulcan and his human wife, Amanda Grayson. Captain Philippa Georgiou had praised her, prompting that the woman should receive a command of her own. Kat had feared that it was too early to give her one. He had argued that she'd been given one; a smaller science vessel and see if she was up to it._

 _Landry ignored his remark. "The Emperor is furious. She's vowed to turn the entire universe upside down to kill you for the murder of Captain Michael Burnham; the woman she considers to be her daughter. Or have you forgotten everything since the last time we saw each other?"_

 _He didn't know if he was going to laugh or cry at the revelation. He got glimpses into the life of his counterpart everyday but the man was still somewhat of a mystery to him._

Gabriel Lorca gasped as his eyes shot open and he was brought back to reality, once again entangled in the soft whine red sickbay sheets with a thin sheen of perspiration covering his skin. He blinked and tried to focus, tried to calm down, as he heard the sound of faint footsteps. He took a moment to orient himself and cleared the haze from his mind. He still had a hard time grasping that he was alive and that he'd been rescued, that he was once again back where he belonged. However, everything wasn't like it was supposed to be. When he'd left his known universe the Federation-Klingon conflict had escalated to the point of an outbreak of war. He didn't know all the details yet and he really wasn't up to reading about it for the time being, he was nursing a headache and the high fever had refused to let go of him. He was feeling rather miserable under all the sheets that covered him at the moment. He wasn't a fool, he realized he had a long road of recovery before him until he could be reinstated in the service. He couldn't help himself as he suddenly let out a rueful chuckle wondering if he ever made it back to the captain's chair at all.

"Something funny going on here, Captain Lorca?" A slim and tall brunette with a cool exterior asked as she came to stand next to his bedside with her hands clasped behind her back.

For a moment she reminded him of a younger version of Kat, a no nonsense woman who was fair in her assessment of others and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. This woman had the stunning looks as well.

"You requested to see me?" Una said curiously.

He nodded. "Yes," he croaked and harrumphed, trying out his voice again. "Yes, commander. You'll have to forgive me I haven't been using my voice as much as I have these last few days for almost six months. There was no sense in talking to myself down there."

Una smirked, her red lips twitching upwards in a sly upward curl. "A man with dry humor," she remarked. "A wonderful trait, sir. Now, let's not beat around the bushes. What was it you wanted to see me about?"

"First of all, I can't tell you enough how relieved I am to have been brought back from that awful rock," he said seriously.

Number One tilted her head. "Well, sir. That rock is considered to be a paradise amongst the botanists, ornithologists, geologists; basically all the geeks in the science department. That's why Starfleet decided to make the planet a sanctuary for rare species and forbid practically everyone to set foot on it," she explained.

Lorca smirked. "Still, I don't feel comfortable amongst oddities," he replied and grimaced in pain.

"Do you want me to go find Doctor M'Benga, sir?" she asked kindly.

He shook his head. "No, no. I just shifted in a bad way. It seems I never learn. It'll pass, just pretend it didn't happen," he said smartly.

She gave him a moment and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm curious," he began carefully, his voice still hoarse. "The flagship seems to be a little out of shape yet I was told the war ended several months ago."

Number One straightened. "This ship never participated in the war," she said, her voice carefully neutral as to how she felt about that. "The _Enterprise_ was on a deep space mission. Dare I say deep into other troubles at the time. We limped home to aid and to be aided."

Lorca nodded. "I see," he replied thoughtfully. "I can't help but to wonder where your illustrious Captain Pike has disappeared too in a time like this. What kind of captain abandons his ship and crew in a moment like this?"

He saw the disapproval on her face, even if it was brief, and the anger that his words sparked within her. Her eyes turned cold at the accusation he made and she took a deep breath before she finally answered.

"With all due respect, sir. Captain Pike would never abandon his ship and crew. We are his family. Captain Pike has been given temporary command of another vessel in order to follow up on the seven red signals we recorded in space while the _Enterprise_ will dock at pier number two at San Francisco space dock to undergo extensive repairs and a retrofit under my supervision."

"My apologies, commander. I meant no disrespect. I am sure that Pike is a good captain. In fact I know that he is and a decorated officer too. I am a little curious though as to why your young doctor over there said your captain was on board my ship?" Lorca said.

Una followed his gaze toward M'Benga who gently redressed an ensign's wound. "Yes, that is interesting," she replied enigmatically. "I won't tire you out with details, besides it's not for me to reveal classified material. I'd have to refer you to Admiral Cornwell. You'll have to excuse me I need to prepare the ship for docking procedures. It's not as straight forward to dock a ship this size as one might think."

"I can imagine," Lorca mused. "Thank you again, commander, for the rescue."

She gave him a wry smile. "Anytime, Captain Lorca," she replied and turned to leave.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	6. Revelations

**Chapter Six**

 _Revelations_

"You look better," Kat said with a smile. "However, you do seem to be angry."

"You're damn right I am," he said, raising his voice with every word and then added in a subdued voice through clenched teeth. "We need to talk."

The Admiral sighed and flopped down in a chair next to his bed. "What is it, Gabe?" she asked, her tone of voice back to rich and commanding.

"One of the doctors- when I said I wanted to talk to Captain Pike – he said the captain was onboard my ship," he stated. "Now, he couldn't have meant the _Buran_ because you told me it went down with all hands."

She sighed.

"There is something you aren't telling me, Kat. I want to know what it is," Gabriel said.

She turned to look him directly in the eye with a mixture of sadness and dismay etched on her face. She looked older than he remembered, drawn and tired. "When you disappeared we never searched for you because we thought we'd found you," she explained darkly.

His frown deepened. "What are you talking about?" he asked even though he had a sick feeling he already knew.

"When you left this universe another Gabriel Lorca was drawn into it," she answered. "We had no reason to doubt that it wasn't you, not at first."

Gabriel felt his mood plummet at the revelation. "I see," he finally said after a long moment of silence. "I've been there, Kat, in the mirror universe. I know what kind of savages they are. To think even for a minute that the other version of me was anything else,-" he trailed off in frustration.

"He was cunning. I'll give him that," Katrina concurred. "He distanced himself from everyone he – you – held dear."

"There must have been a hearing, something, after the disaster in which the _Buran_ got destroyed," he pushed.

She looked away and hesitated for a moment. She let out a deep breath as she shoulders sagged. "He admitted to having blown the ship apart in order to save its secrets and not to let it fall into enemy hands," she finally let on.

Lorca stiffened as a chill ran down his spine. "Good God, Kat," he whispered. "He really did murder them. All those good people."

"Gabe, please stop, it's not your fault," she said seriously.

"You have to stop upsetting my patient, admiral," Doctor Boyce said sternly as he appeared next to her. "It's not helping his recovery."

Kat's focus was on Lorca's upset face as she addressed her old mentor. "He needs to know, Phil," she said regrettably in a subdued voice. "I can't protect him from the ugly truth."

"No, but you can keep it from him for another few hours," Boyce reasoned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Your friend, my patient, is exhausted and needs to rest."

Lorca shook his head feverishly, his eyes slightly glassy. "I'll be all right," he assured them tiredly.

Phil nodded as he prepared a hypo. "Yes, you will," he said and emptied the content in the vein in the captain's neck.

"Sneaky," Kat remarked. "I can see why Chris doesn't trust you with those."

"That's another one who doesn't know what's good for him," Boyce muttered as he made to leave.

OOOOOO

When Gabriel Lorca awoke the next time it was to find himself in a large single-bed room at the East Wing of Starfleet Medical in San Francisco. The room was brightly white, tranquil and silent to the point of boring compared to the _Enterprise's_ bustling sickbay.

The captain glanced across the room dumbfounded and then frowned as he spotted Katrina Cornwell standing next to the large window overlooking the bay across the town, her hands clasped behind her back and her face a mixture of trouble and concern. He took a moment to study her, drank in her appearance, her slim figure and proud posture. There was a frown on her forehead and she seemed to be miles away as she stared out into the grey nothingness of the storm that roamed outside the window. The rain drummed on the glass, creating a beautiful sound he hadn't heard in years. Even the ominous clouds and the grey skies was a highlight after all his years in space and, most recently, his time in the mirror universe. Ebaba had offered him views too; of blossoming flowers and clear blue lakes but it hadn't been like anything back home.

He finally cleared his throat and tilted his head a little on the fluffy pillow. "How long have I been here?" he asked and grimaced in dismay at the sound of his strained voice.

Kat whirled around at the sound and closed the distance between them in two quick strides. She reached for some ice chips and gently helped him soothe his dry throat.

"How long, Kat?" he repeated hollowly.

The concern in her eyes made him uncomfortable.

"Almost five days," she finally answered. "You had us all worried, Gabe. Your fever spiked again and we had some trouble stabilizing your condition."

He blinked and slowly nodded at that. "So that's why I am feeling so spent," he whispered. "What about my leg?"

"One thing at a time, Gabe," Kat cautioned.

"They can't fix it then?" he guessed dejectedly.

"Now you're jumping to conclusions," she replied. "How many times have I told you not to do that?"

"Too many," he quipped. "How many times have you said A but not B?"

The corners of Kat's lips curled upwards at the light accusation and then she shook her head. "You've been assigned a physician here. I am sure he'll tell you everything when he comes to see you later."

Lorca nodded at that. "Good, then we can continue where we left off," he said seriously.

Kat gave him a look of confusion.

"You told Doctor Boyce you could not protect me from the ugly truth. From that statement I guess that my counterpart did some things that didn't sit well with command," he deduced.

'If you only knew', the admiral thought dejectedly but she didn't voice it. Instead she forced a ghost of a smile on her lips and reached out to take his hand into hers. "Having known you for so many years, Gabe, there is no point in lying to you."

"Why would you do that?" he asked carefully.

"Because the truth will hurt you," she replied sadly.

"I'm a grown man, Kat. I think I can take it," he answered.

"The ship that Doctor M'Benga referred to as your ship was the _USS Discovery_ ," Kat finally revealed. "The _Discovery_ is one of two prototype ships that housed the experimental spore drive. It is,-"

"-a drive unit that uses the Mycelial Network," Gabriel finished for her. "Did Justin Straal work with that?"

She nodded solemnly. "He did, although not onboard the _Discovery_. He was the astromycologist placed onboard _Discovery's_ sister ship the _USS Glenn_."

"I see," Gabe replied thoughtfully. "Is he alive?"

She hesitated. That was enough for him to understand the man had died in this universe as well.

"The incident in itself is classified. I can't break protocol, Gabe," Kat reasoned sadly. "-but I can tell you that Justin Straal died while encountering a fatal error with the spore drive. In fact the entire crew died."

Lorca let the last of the ice chip trickle down his throat and shuddered at the tone of her voice. It wasn't so much the coldness and the directness but the underlying sadness and despair which told him that she was still reeling from losing them.

"The reason as to why Christopher Pike is onboard that vessel and not on his own ship is partly due to the cascading malfunctions across the _Enterprise_ after having encountered a new threat to the Federation," she explained.

He sighed and chuckled bitterly. "I suppose there's always something going on," he mused.

"If anyone can find out the real reason as to why those signals appeared out of the blue completely synchronized, its Captain Pike. Since the _Enterprise_ is out of commission and the _Discovery_ has lost her captain the admiralty figured it was a perfect match."

Lorca eyed her wearily for a moment, narrowing his eyes at her. "You never told me what happened to him – to me – that led to him not coming back."

Kat sighed as she lifted her head to gaze out through the window once again. "It's classified," she began in a subdued voice. "-but since it concerns you I see no reason to keep it from you."

Lorca shrugged yet he was confused. It wasn't like Kat to be this enigmatic and weary. "So," he pushed. "After I was miraculously rescued from an escape capsule I was given a new command?"

She snorted. "After you were rescued from the accident site – more exactly – the debris field - you were taken to Starbase 11 for treatment. The doctors called you medical miracle."

Something dark clouded his vision for a moment at the revelation.

"You claimed you'd ordered the self-destruct of the _Buran_ in order to save its secrets from falling into Klingon hands," the admiral explained.

"And they bought that?" Gabriel questioned with dismay.

"It was war, Gabe, not peace. They accepted the sacrifices and the loss of the ship because of the grim situation. They did not set a blind eye to it, they cautioned you, noted in your record that you performed well under an extremely difficult situation and appreciated that you lived through the ordeal so that you could explain your actions."

He followed her gaze toward the window and the ominous skies.

"They needed your expertise, needed your tactical mind in the aftermath of the war. The admiralty considered you to be the perfect man to head up the captaincy of the _Discovery_ ; to test its capabilities far away from known Federation space, to spy on the Klingons," she said darkly as she turned back to look at him.

"You know, Kat. When I first ended up in the mirror universe I was taken aback by the cruelty, the deceit and deception all around me. My counterpart had obviously been vicious and swift in his attacks on the right people over there. It didn't take them long to realize I wasn't him so why did you not see he wasn't me?"

Kat couldn't help but to hear the accusing tone in his hoarse voice and it hurt. She had wondered that too at times but she just thought he'd been unbalanced after everything he'd gone through.

"I know this sounds crazy, Gabe, but I thought you were just overworked, physically and mentally, and that you'd get better. My old colleague at Starfleet Medical signed your papers and certified you psychologically fit for duty under my supervision. I realize now that I was compromised because I knew you," she said regrettably.

"I don't know, Kat. I thought I knew you too but if you can't tell the difference between him and me than maybe you don't know me at all?" he replied coldly.

She exhaled deeply at the words as they clawed at her soul, broke her heart. After a while she managed a faint smile as she reached out to gently squeeze his shoulder.

He squirmed, trying to shy away from her gesture of comfort.

Cornwell got up from the chair next to the bed and walked out of the room without a word. She stalked out into the corridor and leaned her back against the cold surface, closed her eyes and gently reached up with her hand to carefully dab at the tear that had sprung from her eye.

OOOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	7. Disapproval

**Chapter Seven**

 _Disapproval_

 _Enterprise's_ CMO Philip Boyce laughed amusedly as he stepped into engineering to find Number One standing at the main console, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. The sleeves of her uniform tunic was rolled up and her cheek was smudged with a faint black streak, suspiciously looking like engine grease.

"Una," he called. "I think you've got it all wrong. It's Chris who's left the ship not Louvier. What are you doing down here anyway and why do you look like a grease monkey?"

She turned around to face him, something in her eyes told him she was not in the mood for light bickering among friends. She slammed the pad which had been resting under her arm down hard on the workbench to her right. "I'm going nuts being cooped up in space dock," she said. "I've just come from a meeting with Station Commander Briggs. He tells me some of the spare parts that we requested can't be delivered for at least another week. I told him we could build some of it ourselves. Do you know what he said?" she asked angrily.

"Take it easy, Una, getting all that riled up is not good for your blood pressure," he cautioned.

"He said it would not meet the official requirements and that if we did that he would not be able to certify the ship fit for service," she replied, ignoring his remark.

Phil frowned and crossed his arms across his chest as he casually leaned back against the wall. "So you decided to go against him and do it anyway?" he guessed.

Una smirked at that. "Actually, I lost a bet last night," she let on. "-to a certain chief engineer. Now I am paying for it."

"Whatever that was I don't want to know," the good old doctor mumbled. "Have you heard anything from Chris lately?"

"Right now I keep telling myself that no news is good news," she said seriously.

Phil huffed at that.

Una studied him for a moment and narrowed her eyes at him. "Speaking of news," she said. "How's Spock? Did you see him?"

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "I'm worried about our Vulcan friend. I've never seen a Vulcan in such distress," he said seriously. "I am not sure he recognized me at all. At first, when I managed to get Chris to tell me he'd admitted himself to the psychiatric ward I didn't believe him but now-," he trailed off.

Una raised an impeccable eyebrow, unaware of how her look mirrored Spock's when he was confused or troubled.

"He's shut down completely. He draws that damn angel all the time, just different versions of it," Phil explained. "He calculate trajectories, vectors; all kinds of things. And he talks gibberish. I can't understand a word of it."

"I'd better tell Chris the moment he checks in," Una said with concern.

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca glanced up from the pad in hand as there was a soft knock on his door. The moment later a sheepish looking Admiral Katrina Cornwell stuck her head inside the room.

"Come in, Kat," he said warmly as he put the pad away and rubbed at his tired eyes.

She smirked as she made her way up to his bedside and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly the last time," she apologized.

He shook his head. "No need to apologize," he assured her softly. "You said the truth would hurt me and it did but it also hurt you in the process."

She tilted her head and studied him fondly for a moment. "Sometimes you're overly bright, Gabe."

He broke into a grin. "I don't think I've said it but I've been meaning too, every time you've been to see me. Kat, I have missed you. The thought of you kept me sane," he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "I'm going to have too I suppose."

"Yes, a team of psychologists and interrogators are eager to talk to you," she let on wearily. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault, Kat," he whispered.

"I,-" he faltered for a moment then took a dep breath. "One moment I was running through the ship. They'd boarded us; they were everywhere. I couldn't stop them. They cut the throat of my helmsman in front of the rest of the bridge crew."

Cornwell glanced away at his words, they were laced with a mix of despair, anxiety and anger.

He fidgeted absentmindedly with the edge of his blanket. "They grabbed me from behind; said I needed to come with them. I might have said something overly stupid but I don't remember what it was. The Klingon hissed and head-butted me. I stumbled backwards, staggered and then managed to find my balance again. They laughed at me, told me how weak humans where," he recalled bitterly.

Kat reached out for him, her heart aching.

"Something snapped inside of me and I broke free. I made it into the turbolift. Unfortunately for me, doors didn't close fast enough and they squeezed themselves in after me."

 _"Going somewhere, captain?" the leader growled amusedly. "It seems you have a fighting spirit. A shame to kill it so soon."_

 _"Get the hell off my ship," he seethed._

 _"Never, Captain Lorca," the Klingon said. "This is what you humans would call a no-win scenario."_

 _"What do you want me for?" he dared._

 _"Why do you run, captain?" The Klingon challenged, head held high. "It is cowardice."_

 _Gabriel silently counted down, he knew exactly how long it would take for the turbolift to stop, announce which deck it was reaching and open the doors. If he timed it right he'd be able to escape. He refused to go down without a fight._

 _He dodged the Klingon in front of him and threw a glancing blow at the other's head and then leaped out of the lift. He managed to skid around the corner just in time to avoid being sliced into two by a Bath'let. He needed to go somewhere he could prevent them from getting what they wanted from the ship. He contemplated trying to reach engineering or auxiliary bridge control._

 _Buran had a site-to-site transporter, an experimental matrix that allowed for transport within the ship. He'd never liked it, he'd heard stories about people getting back in pieces, but it was probably nothing but over-exaggerated rumors made by drunk officers. He ran for all he was worth, feeling his heart thumping wildly in his chest and his pulse rushing in his ears. He pressed himself against the wall as he heard the sound of phasers and disruptor fire but there was no escape; he was an easy target as he rounded another corner further down the corridor. He let out a cry of agony as the beam from the weapon cut through his flesh, melting skin, tissue and bones altogether. High on adrenaline he stumbled as his leg refused to carry him any longer. He gritted his teeth, dragged himself into the transporter room and sealed the door. With a mask of pain he sank down on the floor and panted hard. His vision was greying but he refused to give in now that he was so close. He forced himself upright, punched in the coordinates and dragged himself up on the pad._

"Gabe?" Kat asked worriedly. "Are you in there?"

He shook out of his daze and the powerful flashback and forced a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Back there for a moment," he said. "Anyway, I managed to escape and figured I could use the site-to-site transport to move across the ship but after that it's all a bit of a blur apparently I beamed off the ship. The next thing I remember is being transported somewhere on a small prison shuttle."

The door suddenly opened to reveal a short woman clad as an aid, she smiled at them and nodded at Kat. "Admiral Cornwell. I am sorry to disturb you but there is a call from your office. You have a priority one message waiting for you."

"Go, Kat," Gabe said. "I'm not going to disappear."

OOOOOO

Leland drummed his fingers against the railing as he waited. He straightened his posture and fixed the admiral with a glare as she finally appeared in the form of a hologram next to him.

"Well," he said by way of greeting. "What took you so long?"

She smirked at him which ended in a sarcastic grimace _. "Hello to you too, Leland,"_ she said coldly. _"I might ask you the same thing."_

"The emperor was waiting for the right opportunity to present itself," he explained with a shrug. "Tyler's been recruited and the kid's been sent to Boreth – poor little fellow – to be raised by the monks."

 _"So all is well amongst the ranks of the Klingons?"_ Cornwell asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

He snorted. "As well as it can be I suppose. They've always been savages but they're devious I'll admit that and lethal too."

The admiral nodded. _"So, how do you like our new Philippa Georgiou?"_ she asked bluntly.

Leland nodded cockily. "She's good – for a dead woman," he replied. "She has guts, she's not afraid to speak her mind and she has an ego the size of this ship."

 _"Well, then it makes two of you,"_ Cornwell drawled sarcastically.

"Why did Burnham think it was a good idea to bring Emperor Georgiou with her here?" he questioned sceptically. "Don't we have enough idiots to deal with?"

 _"Careful, Leland,"_ the admiral cautioned with a half-quirk on her lips. _"You might hurt her feelings and you might end up getting hurt as well if she gets to know."_

"I'm keeping her at her toes," he assured her enigmatically.

 _"I'm sure you do,"_ Cornwell mused.

OOOOOO

Una tapped away on her pad in order for time to pass a little faster. She wasn't good at doing nothing. She waited patiently for Chris to call her, to let her now that they were in range so that she could beam over. There was so much they needed to discuss. She glanced around the captain's ready room and pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure as she realized she'd made herself a bit too comfortable. She suddenly noticed the pizza boxes at the edge of the conference table, the seven pads strewn across the desk, her uniform tunic draped over the couch as she was clad in her tight black undershirt. She grimaced at the toilet articles and makeup box that sat at the drawer next to an artefact on the shelf and hastily got out of the chair to clean up. Her quarters was currently being refurnished and she'd taken refuge in Chris's ready room, sleeping on the couch; it had been either that or sickbay.

Una reached over and grabbed her golden tunic, shrugged into it and zipped it close. She put the makeup box on the floor, away from the view screen, and collected the shattered pads and stacked them neatly at the edge of the desk.

 _"Commander,"_ Lieutenant Nicola called suddenly over the intercom. _"Incoming call to you from Discovery."_

"Send it through," she answered and moved over to stand at the end of the conference table.

The screen flickered to life, revealing a tired yet jovial Captain Pike at the other end, sitting in what appeared to be the captain's ready room on board the smaller vessel. _"Pizza? Number One?"_ he asked quizzically.

Una quickly reached for the pizza boxes and threw them into a bin. "A left-over, sir," she said smoothly. "How are you doing?" she asked and patted her ribcage.

He mimicked her movement, patting his side. _"I'm healed. Not even a scar, no one would believe me if I claimed to have been hit by a phaser at close range."_

She snorted at that. "I believe you ran into it on purpose, captain, that is a fact no one would ever believe," she replied softly. "Please don't try anything like that again."

Chris smirked at that. _"Have you had time to find out anything more about Spock?"_ he asked curiously.

"Only that he stole a shuttle but you already knew that. I haven't been able to find the reason as to why he behaved like he did but it sure doesn't sound like our science officer. Phil was really concerned after his visit," she said.

 _"I don't like it, Una,"_ Chris said darkly.

"I'm bringing everything I know over to you," she informed seriously. "There is something fishy about this. There is something here that doesn't make sense."

 _"I'll be waiting for you,"_ he said kindly.

"Just one more thing, sir," Una added innocently. "How's the replicators on board the _Discovery_?"

 _"Habanero sauce?"_ Pike guessed. _"You overloaded an entire series of replicators the last time you ordered that. What is it anyway?"_

"You don't want to know, captain," she replied smoothly.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	8. Friends and Foes

**Chapter Eight**

 _Friends and Foes_

"Better?" Kat asked kindly.

Gabriel glanced up from where he was sitting on the floor doing exercises with his injured leg. He forced a smile on his flushed face. "Fever's gone, the bugs are out of my system. At least that's something," he reasoned.

"You didn't answer my question" she said.

"You didn't specify your question," he replied with a smirk.

"How's the leg, Gabe?"

"Not cooperating," he admitted, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Doc wants to try invasive surgery."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Let's talk about something else," he suggested. "What is it Pike is chasing?"

Kat shook her head solemnly.

"Come on, tell me," he pushed, eager to put his mind on something else than the constant mulling over his own predicament.

"You know I can't break protocol, Gabe," she said seriously.

He shrugged. "By the look on your face something is troubling you. Maybe I can help?" he suggested. "Does it involve the seven red signals that the _Enterprise_ recorded while being in deep space?"

She marvelled at his words for a moment.

"I might have picked something up while on board the flagship," he let on.

"We don't know what it is," she explained. "The admiralty thinks it's some kind of threat. The AI – control – that Section 31 and SFC is running as a joint expertise and exchange program, when it comes to threat assessment, went crazy, several warning flags were raised."

Lorca huffed. "Call me old fashioned but isn't it better to rely on human expertise than that crap?" he asked sceptically.

"It's not for me to decide. Starfleet is not an anarchy," she reasoned.

"Not a democracy either," he replied sarcastically. "There is something you're not telling me."

She frowned. "What would that be?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me," he reasoned. "Something is eating at you."

Kat hesitated for a moment as if contemplating on how much to tell him. "It's Lieutenant Spock. He's Captain Pike's science officer. Sarek's-"

"- son," Gabriel finished for her.

"Spock broke out of the psychological ward on Starbase 5 a few days ago. He murdered several doctors who tried to keep him locked in and is now considered to be a wanted criminal," she explained.

"What has Captain Pike got to say about that?" Lorca asked curiously.

"He's adamant that Spock is innocent," she replied.

"But you don't believe him?" Gabe asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

"I don't know what to believe. All I do know is that the evidence speaks for themselves. He murdered innocent people."

"Evidence," Lorca mused darkly. "Look at the evidence against me. I would be the first one to tell you to screw the evidence."

She involuntarily flinched at his bitter tone.

"Everything that look-a-like did; everyone thought it was me," he drawled sarcastically and then repeated his earlier words. "My goodness, Kat. Everyone thought it was me. He must have been good since not even you couldn't tell the difference."

She swallowed at the accusatory tone in his voice, her mood plummeting.

"While you were gone I've been reading up on a few things. What more have I been up to?" he challenged coldly, his blue eyes boring into her very soul. "I mean, except for the part when I murdered a few thousand people and took off with my new ship to cross the borders of another universe."

She noticed the emphasis of the word my new ship and sighed wearily. "I know you're angry, Gabriel-"

He laughed bitterly in disbelief. "No, angry is not the right word, I can assure you that," he replied darkly. "Starfleet left me to die in some crazy, mixed up, place where I hope I'll never end up ever again and then you have the guts to tell me that Starfleet is actually blaming me for losing several of their ships because I hightailed it out of the war and used the _Discovery_ for my own benefit. A Starship I've never even set foot on!" he said, his voice rising with every word.

They stared at each other for a moment, the tension palpable in the room.

He sighed and seemed to try and gather himself, calming a little. "My apologies," he mumbled. "Your friend's accusations didn't sit well with my own assessment of the situation."

"Have they been here to see you already?" Kat asked in surprise. "I told them to wait."

"To see me," Lorca replied bitterly. "To interrogate me, you mean? To see if I am the man I claim to be. Is that what Starfleet does nowadays; hunt down their own officers and try to prosecute them?"

"They know it wasn't you, Gabe," Kat began softly.

"Given the way our conversation went I'm not so sure about that," he quipped.

Kat sighed and pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure. "Spock is somehow connected to these red signals. He drew them even before they appeared. There really is no logical explanation for it."

"When all the logical choices fail; try the illogical ones," Gabe said in a subdued voice, reciting Sarek.

OOOOOO

It was late, almost midnight when Katrina Cornwell sat down behind her desk back at Starfleet Command. She rubbed her tired eyes and began to massage her aching temples; it had been a long and trying day. Gabe was bitter, Chris was arguing that Spock was innocent, Amanda had stolen her son's medical file from Starbase 5, Sarek said she must never speak of that to anyone. The AI insisted that the seven red signals was a serious threat to anything alive in the galaxy and recommended complete annihilation to whatever was behind it and Admiral Patar was on the warpath.

The screen before her suddenly chirped and the alpha symbol was lighting up the display. She stabbed at the button to collect the call. "What do you want, Leland?" she asked.

 _"You have been withholding information about Captain Lorca,"_ he said succinctly.

"I was wondering how long,-" she began smugly.

 _"Cut the crap, admiral,"_ he interrupted.

"No. Watch your tone," she cautioned coldly. "I still outrank you and I won't hesitate to call on your insubordination."

 _"I answer to Admiral Patar, as you well know Admiral Cornwell,"_ he replied curtly but the cockiness was gone from his voice, indicating that he'd received the message.

"There is nothing you need to know about Captain Lorca at the moment. What do you know about Lieutenant Spock's whereabouts?" she asked.

Leland leaned forward in his chair, answering her question by one of his own. _"Would you mind telling me why my old friend Chris Pike is chasing after the Vulcan with the Discovery? I thought he would be more worried about the red signals."_

"Chris follows the motto; 'We leave no one behind'. Maybe you should try it sometime?" she fired back and killed the connection.

OOOOOO

Ash Tyler beamed into the lobby close to the breaking dawn. There would be a minimum compliment of nurses and orderlies at this time of night. He was no fool, he knew that the unidentified signature of his beaming would be detected just not recognized by more than a handful of people high up in the ranks. The technology for this kind of transport was not invented yet according to regular channels.

He walked casually, like he belonged, down the white, dimly lit corridors of the East Medical Wing at Starfleet Medical HQ. Ash felt both anticipation and anger towards the man he'd actually never met. Part of him silently wondered what he was even doing coming here. Captain Lorca had been kidnapped by his people,- he trailed off and shuddered at that.

"- the Klingons where not his people,' he chided himself even though Voq was a constant reminder.

-taken to a transport ship where he'd been introduced to Lieutenant Ash Tyler a supposedly abducted and imprisoned Starfleet officer who was to help Lorca escape, create trust between them and then join the captain onboard the _Discovery_.

Ash snorted. He'd come a long way since then. Voq had been impressed by the way Lorca handled himself; he was cold and calculating, tactical and self-assured like no other Starfleet captain he'd ever met; not that he'd met many. As time passed Tyler clashed with Voq, remembered more and more about what happened to him and he had to get off Lorca's back to sort himself out.

However, observing the captain at a distance was enough to see how devious he was. He duped the entire crew, starting with Burnham by taking her under his wings, rescuing her from that prison transport. He'd handpicked many of his senior officers before the _Discovery_ left port, people he judged to be stupid enough to believe that his true calling was to save others, to fight for the Federation while the only thing he wanted was to get back to his universe and kill his nemesis Emperor Philippa Georgiou.

Tyler shook his head. He knew several people who'd appreciate Lorca's style both amongst Section 31 members and the Klingon Empire. Considering Emperor Georgiou's history with him Ash thought she'd simply sneak into his room at night and shoot him at point blank with no remorse if she had the chance.

The Agent walked up to the room and casually took a look inside through the round observation glass situated in the door. He cursed as a nurse came around the corner and smiled brightly at him.

"Good morning doctor," she said softly.

He gave her a curt nod. "Good morning," replied.

"I haven't seen your face around before," the young woman said. "I think I should have remembered such a handsome face."

He actually blushed at that. "Actually, I'm a student and I'm kind of lost at the moment," he let on sheepishly.

"No problem," she said crinkling her nose. "I know the place better than anyone. Where are you supposed to be?"

"Teaching halls Two-Theta-Nine. Level Fourteen, Section Three," he tried with uncertainty.

She shook her head. "Then you need to work on your sense of orientation."

"But this is Level Fourteen, Section Three," he pointed out.

She nodded. "But it's the wrong wing. You're supposed to be in the Southern Wing. If you hurry and catch the sideway lift, get out at the end of this wing and jump to the next you'll be there in ten minutes."

He managed a lost look and turned to leave. "Okay, thanks."

"No, no," she protested lightly. "You're going in the wrong direction."

Ash turned again and smiled. "Bye," he said.

"Anytime," she called jovially after him.

Tyler waited until there was no sign of her and backtracked. He slipped into the dimly lit room and walked up to the bed and studied the sleeping form of Captain Gabriel Lorca. To his surprise the man blinked his eyes open without a hint of surprise, he met his eyes squarely.

"You must be Ash Tyler," he deduced.

At that moment Ash was back there, on board the _Discovery_ , fighting for his life, fighting to be free from Voq.

"Yes," he said.

"The Klingon spy that got on board the _Discovery_ ; tried to find out as much a possible about the new propulsion, befriended a mutineer and killed a doctor," he deduced.

Tyler set his jaw, feeling anger washing over him. "What right do you have to judge me?" he asked coldly. "Captain Gabriel Lorca, the one I once knew was an impostor from another universe; one who did not hesitate to kill in his ultimate search for power and obedience. Sacrificing hundreds of thousands on the way back."

"I am not him," Lorca said through gritted teeth in a cold and subdued voice.

"I am not Voq," Tyler deadpanned. "The Klingon side of me is gone, there are only remnants left; remnants of memories I've never asked to see at nights, some horrible, and others terrifying."

"What do you want?" Lorca managed politely.

He shrugged. "I don't really know. It's funny, in a way he saved me by bringing me on board and at the same time he corrupted me. I was lost, I counted on him and Michael."

"And the Lorca you knew didn't really care?" Gabe guessed.

"Something like that," Tyler mused. "But I don't envy you, sir. I don't envy you the months, perhaps even years, it's going to take for you to prove yourself, to get back in the saddle. To be forced to tell a lie every time someone asks anything about your past, your whereabouts; your actions during the war."

The harsh words struck a chord with the older man and a sad look appeared on his face as he thought back upon all those poor, brave souls under his command on board the _Buran._

"Philippa is dead?" he said. It was more of a statement than a question.

Tyler nodded anyway. "That she is. Replaced by the Emperor from the mirror universe, nowadays Captain Leland's right hand."

Lorca huffed. "This might sound strange to you considering everything that's happened lately but I've never liked Leland, never liked his principles or his moral compass."

"I see what you mean," Tyler concurred. "But he gets things done."

Gabe grimaced at that. "He always have, one way or another," he let on enigmatically. "Whatever you do, Tyler, don't stand in his way."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	9. Nightmares

**Chapter Nine**

 _Nightmares_

Captain Christopher Pike, although radiating calmness, was in fact furious as he sat down behind his desk in the Captain's Ready Room. Despite the appearances and the friendly yet cautious tone between them Pike was weary of Leland's true intentions. To hear that the man was now leading up Section 31 was deeply troublesome, the entire branch was troublesome.

Philippa Georgiou was another matter. The woman before him had looked exactly like the Philippa Georgiou he'd met at the Academy yet she was nothing like her. Georgiou had been sweet and caring and had believed in the same things he did; this version of her appeared cocky, mean and ready to kill someone for the fun of it. The look on Commander Burnham's face when the shuttle door opened to reveal her former captain had spoken volumes of disbelief and distrust yet records stated that they worked well together and that Burnham had been a candidate for a captaincy of her own just before the Incident at the Binary Star. None of it made sense.

Then there was Agent Tyler, the liaison officer, whom Leland had insisted on placing aboard his ship. Burnham appeared to have a history with that man as well. Admiral Cornwell had ignored him when he'd requested the mission logs from _Discovery_ during the war and when he'd asked to be filled in about events that concerned him. She had looked him in the eye and said there was no need for him to know about Agent Tyler nor did he need to know what had happened to Philippa Georgiou.

Pike opened up a channel to his most trusted friend and XO on board the _Enterprise_ and hoped she'd be able to take his call.

Una didn't disappoint him and appeared on the screen before him only seconds after his hail. _"Good afternoon, Captain. I have a feeling this is not a social call."_

He smirked which morphed into a dimpled grin. "I want to owe you favors," he let on cryptically.

She blinked smartly at him. _"Sounds intriguing enough."_

"First things first, Number One. How are things back home? How's the ship?" he asked carefully.

 _"Home's still a bit weary after everything that's happened even though the Klingons never actually made it all the way to Earth. Starfleet Command, Starfleet Medical and Starfleet Academy are bustling with activity. A lot of people want to help and sign on to defend humanity should it come back to that,"_ she explained.

Chris nodded.

 _"As for the ship,"_ Una shrugged. _"She's not being scrapped as we first feared back out there in deep space. She's slowly being transformed from a cripple to the beauty she once was. The photon torpedo batteries are fully operational, the hull is being reinforced, structural integrity is being rerouted through several backup systems and Louvier has polished the entire engineering with a fine toothbrush,"_ she said and smirked as she finished.

He laughed, she always managed to get him in a good mood.

 _"How about you, sir?"_ she asked curiously. _"You look troubled for some reason."_

"I thought I'd finally succeeded in catching Spock as we engaged his shuttle with a tractor beam. Instead I met a twisted version of Philippa Georgiou who claimed to work as an agent for Section 31," he explained.

Una raised an impeccable eyebrow. _"Fascinating,"_ she remarked smoothly.

"Yeah, I thought so too," he concurred. "You should have seen the look on Commander Burnham's face when she met her former captain. The tension in the room was palpable and I swear; if looks could kill."

 _"Very interesting indeed,"_ Una mused. _"By the way, didn't Captain Georgiou retire?"_

"It doesn't make sense. There is something Burnham isn't telling me. I don't know what it is yet but I intend to find out."

Una nodded. _"Let me dig into it. I love a good mystery,"_ she said.

"You'd better be careful Number One," he cautioned.

 _"You keep out of danger, Captain,"_ she countered.

He hesitated for a moment. "Anything on Spock?" he asked hopefully.

"No. I'm sorry," she said. "By the way; how's the crew on board the _Discovery?_ From what I hear they're not a tight bunch."

"They're getting there. Sometimes they trust me, sometimes they don't, but they're good people," he sighed and shook his head sadly. "I really wish I'd known what's really been going on onboard this ship – in full. How's Lorca doing?"

 _"Don't know much about that I am afraid,"_ Una replied. _"However, Admiral Cornwell mysteriously disappeared a few days ago and no one knows where she got too."_

Chris frowned at that. "Maybe she's on her way over here," he suggested. "Just between the two of us, Number One. Sometimes I long to be back out there, back to deep space where no one could reach us; no Section 31 breathing down my neck, no Admirals operating in secrecy, no command decisions based upon some AI; just us and the stars."

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca woke up in cold sweat after having twisted and turned for several hours caught in a horrible dream state that tried to bring him into the abyss. His leg ached, a burning sensation had manifested itself in the long scar than ran the length of his thigh. He eyes immediately turned toward the chair in which Kat used to sit, if not on his bedside, and he felt a sudden heart ache at finding it empty. He snapped his eyes shut again in agony and clenched and unclenched his hand to try and tame the pain. He been brought back upon the ward only hours ago after the second operation. The doctors had been hopeful that he'd regain full function of the leg but warned him that it would take some time and most likely yet another operation to fully reconstruct the nerves and tissue that had been so badly burned and disfigured. One of the reasons for the long process of recovery was that the wound had been left unattended and healed naturally the way it was. It had nearly killed him back then, fever had ravaged his body as it had become infected. He would never know what he'd revealed in his delirium back in the mirror universe but it must have been something important since his captor suddenly decided to try and keep him alive.

He didn't dwell on it but as he got better he saw the look of fear in some people's eyes as they neared him, like he was some kind of monster, a torturer. He later learned the hard way that his counterpart was an evil man, a cold and calculation savage, a power-hungry individual that was out for glory. Five months after his transfer to hell, as he liked to call it, his captors or saviors depending on how you looked at it, were ambushed and shoot to death by a woman he recognized. He had blinked in surprise as he'd stared at the cold face of Ellen Landry and the barrel of the phaser she was pointing at him.

 _"You're dead," she said in surprise. "The Emperor has taken the glory for it after your failed coup. If she gets the wind of it - that you're alive that is - she'll send an army of men to kill you."_

 _He shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"_

 _She stared sceptically at him for a moment before briskly walking up next to him and hauled him on his feet. "You must have hit your head," she muttered._

 _"Stamets is more paranoid than ever, he's locked himself into the lab and refuses to come out," she added in annoyance. "Come on, put some effort to it, unless you want to be left on this garbage freighter when I blow it to pieces."_

 _He felt a chill down his spine at the words. He shouldn't have been surprised still he couldn't help but to wonder what had gone wrong in this universe. Ellen Landry was a kind woman, she was a fighter and a tactical soldier but she valued the lives of others, she didn't go on rampages blowing up innocents. However if he wanted to be able to mull over such things later he'd have to play along for the moment._

 _"Bastards has kept me here, fed me some drugs," he explained hoarsely._

 _"Must have been something strong," she muttered as she calmly adapted several explosives to the bulkheads. "You'll usually be out in no time, leaving your captors to bleed out on the floor, unless you like them of course, then you kill them directly."_

 _He shuddered at that. "I don't get it," he reasoned cockily, trying to get into the role of his counterpart. "What the hell went wrong?"_

 _"You never showed up," she replied. "You said you had it all covered, the troops went in anyway but,-" she trailed off and shrugged like it was no big deal. "We lost a lot of good people. Now we have to start all over again and the Emperor has been watching us like a hawk ever since."_

 _He nodded. "I'm surprised you're alive," he remarked dryly._

 _"Didn't think I was smart enough to run? Smart enough to abandon the troops when I needed too in order to escape her wrath?" Landry chuckled. "Think again, Gabe."_

Lorca snapped his eyes open only to stare into the white ceiling of his hospital room while forcing himself to take deep breaths. It was all over, he was back home now. He would never meet this version of Ellen Landry again.

OOOOOO

Christopher Pike watched as both Admiral Cornwell and Captain Leland disappeared and left him alone on the bridge wing of the, now uncloaked, Section 31 vessel. He sighed and pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he went to seek out the Admiral; their discussion wasn't over.

Several members, all dressed in black, carefully noted his presence, his uniform in blue and gold a stark reminder that he didn't belong. However, they did look at him, not with disinterest and suspicion, but with respect. Pike wasn't just anybody, he was the captain of the flagship. He wasn't the typical captain roaming the Federation territory day out and day in, he was an avid explorer, he met dangers every day, met the unknown every day at the final frontier and had to make the right decisions to survive and for that they showed him the respect he deserved.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked softly yet his voice was demanding as he finally spotted the Admiral.

Cornwell was standing at the end of a corridor, at an observation window overlooking the _Discovery._ She turned around in surprise as he spoke. "I thought you'd already left," she said in a no nonsense tone of voice.

"What kind of madness this is?" he asked quizzically. "Why is Section 31 hunting down an innocent officer?"

She met his eyes squarely. "Lieutenant Spock is a murderer," she said simply.

"I don't believe that and neither do you," he replied.

"I believe in what the evidence show me," she returned curtly.

"Evidence," he echoed sarcastically. "How's Lorca by the way?"

She softened at the question, a sad look etched on her face. "He's holding on but his life is complicated. His leg injury in particular was severe and he has a lot to cope with."

Chris nodded in understanding.

"Did you tell them?" she asked.

"That he's been found alive?" He shook his head. "No, they don't need that kind of distraction at the moment," he replied seriously. "The few times his name's came up – let's just say it has no positive ring to it."

OOOOOO

 _"Get up!" a sharp voice commanded._

 _He felt a boot on his back where he lay curled up at the corner of his cell. Instead of kicking him the boot pushed him flat on his back. Lorca forced his eyes open and stared in confusion at a new guard all dressed in filthy white._

 _The woman gave him a ghost of a smile that didn't reach her eyes and pushed a hypo against his neck. It was then his sluggish mind realized the woman was not a guard but a doctor._

 _"He's getting weaker," the medically trained woman reported to a man next to her; the man with the sharp voice._

 _"He better not die yet," the man countered. "That would be too easy an escape for him."_

 _Gabriel swallowed as he glanced around the semi-dark room with wild glassy eyes._

 _"This is madness," the woman uttered unhappily._

 _"This is what he deserves, Doctor Pollard," the guard replied darkly._

Gabriel awoke to the smattering rain on the window and groaned as he realized he'd dozed off. The pad was still laying on his chest and he reached out for it. The image of one of the junior grade doctors from the _Discovery_ lit up the screen; Doctor Tracy Pollard.

He swallowed, his mouth dry. It was the woman in his dream, the woman he'd met in the mirror universe.

Gabriel huffed. He didn't want to be reminded of his days back at the prison camp where he'd been sentenced to death. For several months he'd thought it was a death trap until he'd been rescued from the lowest levels of the Dilithium mine by members from the _Discovery_ crew only to end up in the brig and come face to face with Captain Killy.

Gabriel sighed. 'When will it end?' he mused dejectedly. He just wanted to be able to close his eyes and sleep without having to relive everything bad that had happened to him lately.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	10. Secrets

**Chapter Ten**

 _Secrets_

Michael Burnham walked into the mess hall, it was almost completely deserted at this time of night. To her surprise she noticed just the person she'd been meaning to talk to the entire day but never found the right opportunity to do so. She sighed and walked across the room to the lonely figure standing next to one of the windows with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

"Captain," she said softly.

He turned his head a little and frowned. "Commander," he acknowledged.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," she began seriously.

He nodded with a smirk. "That longer conversation," he guessed.

"Yes," she admitted.

Pike gestured for her to take a seat at the nearest table and followed her to do the same. "By all means," he said. "Whenever you're ready."

"My friend and captain – Philippa Georgiou she,-" Michael swallowed. "She died at the Battle of the Binary Star."

He clenched his jaw at the news. "I see."

She shook her head sadly. "No, sir, you really don't. I killed her."

Pike looked sceptical.

"Someone was trying to unify the Klingon Empire," she mumbled in a subdued voice. "All the twenty-four houses. I wanted to fire at them but Philippa,-"

"Take your time," Pike encouraged softly.

She'd thought he'd be condemning her actions, see disappointment in his eyes but he placed no blame, instead he looked at her with concern.

"I was thrown in the brig for mutiny and then the war came upon us all," she said in a quivering voice, so unlike the strong Michael Burnham she usually put on display. "She always looked upon life in a bright way."

Chris nodded. "That she did," he said kindly.

Michael looked at him dumbfounded for a moment. She had forgotten that he knew Philippa Georgiou.

"I knew all the principles to live by and I felt I was above them. I defied them in order to try and save Philippa, our crew, the _Shenzhou_ -" she trailed off for a moment, gazing over his shoulder and out through the window at the coldness of space.

Pike silently waited for her to continue, he didn't push, just sat there.

"I told her, as it was my duty being the XO, that we could turn this to our advantage by capturing their leader – this T'Kuvma. If we imprisoned him he would be seen upon as weak, someone who failed the Empire and not the one who united them, not the one who strengthened them."

"You offered to go yourself," Pike guessed. "Georgiou wanted none of it."

Michael nodded. "In the end we both went. We transported onto the bridge. There was a fight," she said, every word through clenched teeth. I killed him, I had no choice."

Pike saw the despair in her eyes as she looked at him. "But not before he killed her," she said coldly, punctuating every word.

"I was directly responsible for killing eight-thousand-one-hundred-and-eighty-six crewmen and officers."

Pike shook his head. "No," he finally said. "Not directly, perhaps not even indirectly. Who knows what would have happened if it had been another ship."

"We found an object but we couldn't figure out what it was,-" she said in a subdued voice, she was mentally back there, at the Binary Star, throwing on her backpack of thrusters, bickering with Saru about exploration, about taking chances and risks. "It turned out to be the Klingons."

"No one had seen Klingons for over hundred years," Pike said softly.

Michael looked up at him as he morphed into a picture of Philippa Georgiou _. "Almost no one has seen a Klingon in over hundred years,"_ she reasoned softly, concerned for her XO.

"We targeted it; it was such a small object," Michael reasoned as she leaned forward. "Then it uncloaked. It was huge."

"The nightmare every soldier fear – to stand helpless, pitted against a superior enemy," Pike said seriously.

"I wanted to greet them the way the Vulcans do – I wanted to fire first," she said.

"Starfleet doesn't fire first," Pike said softly, unaware that he was repeating Georgiou's exact words to her.

Michael shook her head. How she missed her, the real Georgiou, her captain, mentor and friend. She straightened in the chair and gave him a ghost of a smile. "You sound just like she did, sir. Or was it the other way around?"

"Philippa Georgiou was a good friend of mine, we attended the Academy together. To her the glass was always half-full – never empty," he said with a cautious smile. "The way I see it you've suffered enough for your actions. You might not have taken the appropriate actions according to Starfleet but you know that. You can't look back, Burnham, you must look forward."

It was then she realized why it had felt so easy to trust Christopher Pike; to like him. He and Philippa shared the moral, shared the values and principles of nobility; the meaning of right and wrong. He was someone to look up too. Michael had a feeling that Christopher Pike didn't receive the command of the flagship without earning it. Little by little he was raising her hopes of a brighter future.

Pike smirked and fixed her with an expression she couldn't read. "Now it's my time to let you in on a little secret," he said seriously.

She frowned at that wondering what it could possibly be.

"A week after my transfer to _Discovery_ my Number One responded to a distress call on her way to space dock," he explained. "The man sending that distress call was Captain Gabriel Lorca."

Michael froze, her mouth suddenly dry. "No," she whispered. "He's dead."

"I am sure that his counterpart is," Pike reasoned. "However, this is the man who was involuntarily drawn into the mirror universe due to the transporter failure that happened simultaneously on the _USS Buran_ and _ISS Buran_."

"It brings back so many bad memories," she whispered hollowly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He was badly injured and transferred off from the _Enterprise_ to Starfleet Medical in San Francisco," he explained. "I could have told you sooner but frankly I didn't think that was fair to any of you."

"My mother always said I should face my demons directly before they grew into unimaginable proportions," she replied. "I'd like to see him."

OOOOOO

Number One raised an eyebrow in surprise as the screen before her flickered to life. "There you are, sir," she quirked. "I have been trying to reach for days. I was beginning to worry."

Pike smirked amusedly. _"Worry, Number One?"_ he teased lightly.

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

 _"I'm sorry, I've been busy,"_ he let on cryptically.

"I have to admit; I didn't think it was possible to be so completely under the radar," she admonished lightly. "Have you been stealing shield harmonics from the Klingons, captain?"

He sighed, looking drawn and tired all of a sudden as he shook his head slowly with closed eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and raised his head to look at her once again. _"I use to say that nothing surprises me anymore – well, I was wrong,"_ he mused.

"Interesting," she remarked as she leaned closer.

 _"I can see now why the Admiral wanted to give me this particular ship,"_ Pike explained _. "Not only is the Discovery of new design, she's a prototype ship for an entirely new type of propulsion system."_

"Transwarp?" Number One guessed.

Pike smirked, he looked at her slyly, amused and sarcastic all at once. _"A spore drive hub,"_ he finally revealed.

The look on her face was priceless. "Nice one, sir," she commended.

He nodded, unable to contain his dimpled grin any longer. _"I'm not pulling your leg,"_ he replied, trying to sound serious.

"That's hard to believe, captain, considering the grin on your face," she said but nodded and shrugged. "So, you skid across the galaxy on a highway of mushrooms."

To say that she looked sceptical was the understatement of the year.

He shrugged as well. _"You kind of have to go on faith on this one,"_ he stated.

"Obviously," Una remarked.

The weariness crept back upon his features. _"Parts of the Mycelial Network imprisoned one of my officers, Ensign Tilly, a young and bright woman from the CTP. We launched a rescue mission and almost ended up in there ourselves."_

"But you got her out?" Una asked seriously.

Pike nodded _. "We got her out and found Doctor Hugh Culber there too. He was surprisingly well for a dead man."_

" _Discovery's_ CMO," Una stated in surprise. "That's just impossible, sir."

Pike made a face.

"Speaking of the dead," Number One continued. "Captain Philippa Georgiou didn't retire. Not in the sense,-"

 _"It's not her,"_ Pike interrupted sadly _. "The Georgiou I knew died at the Battle of the Binary Star. Burnham finally came clean and told me."_

"So, who's she?" Una asked succinctly.

 _"A mirror version. Brought back by Commander Burnham from the universe Lorca just managed to escape from."_

"And here I was thinking I'd be able to land another favor," she remarked cunningly.

 _"I owe you too many already,"_ he said softly. _"I have a feeling it's going to cost me."_

"You can do me a favor right now, Chris," she said seriously, the playful smile having disappeared and been replaced by a far too serious look. "You can stay alive. I refuse to receive a communique about your demise."

 _"That won't happen,"_ he said without hesitation.

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca grimaced as he hopped along on his hover-crutches. Even though medical science had come far it didn't seem to have come far enough. His leg was still troubling him and they'd cautioned him that it would continue to do so for a long time and that he should be aware of the fact that they might not be able to get it back to full functionality. He had chosen not to listen to that, he refused too. He wanted his command back, to have a ship of his own again and for that to happen he needed to be one hundred percent mobile and healthy.

He huffed ironically as he stared out through the large windows of the physical therapy room. At the present they didn't even consider him to be mentally fit. Kat had cautioned him, warned him about another debriefing and the filing of a new psychological profile on him. He wondered briefly what they thought they'd got out of such a thing. He was a victim of unfortunate circumstances, collateral damage during a hostile takeover at the beginning of the war and he had nothing to add to the statement he'd already given to Kat and the interrogators he'd already spoken too.

"You're up and about," a soft voice spoke up from behind.

Gabriel frowned as he turned his head a little to see who it was.

"We've never met," the slim, petite woman said kindly as she walked up to him.

He took in her olive skin and gold colored eyes, her long silky black hair and the small breathing aids on her cheeks. He recalled seeing those only once on a Barzan woman, her name had been Nhan.

"You're Barzan," he deduced.

She nodded as her lips twitched upwards ever so slightly. "I guess the breathing aids gave me away?" she drawled ironically. "My name is Gaggliani Ghanzana but everyone just calls me Galaas. It's short for being sarcastic, empathic and jovial at the same time in Barzan. Admiral Cornwell thought it was befitting me."

Lorca chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"I'm glad you find it amusing," she remarked dryly. "I'm a member of the interspecies exchange program. My rank equals that of Lieutenant Commander but I go by Counselor Galaas as I've been stationed at Starfleet Medical for three years."

He smirked. "Forgive me I didn't expect,-" he trailed off and smiled. "I guess an introduction is unnecessary since you singled me out but I'm Captain Gabriel Lorca."

"A pleasure, sir," she said and shook his hand. "Now, how much do you know?"

"That's pretty succinct," he said.

"Perhaps," she admitted. "My mentor didn't beat around the bushes."

Gabriel laughed. "Kat?" he asked.

"I'm fond of her and you're her friend. I'll do everything I can to help you," Galaas explained softly.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	11. No Escape

**Chapter Eleven**

 _No Escape_

Michael Burnham sighed and shook her head in disbelief, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. The day had already been trying and grating on her nerves as it was _. 'Why in the world would she establish contact with Starfleet Medical and talk to a man she didn't really want to talk to?'_

She cast a glance at the watch situated at her nightstand and noted that it was getting late back on Earth. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to access the holographic imagery system.

Michael Burnham's holographic image materialized inside a cold and sterile hospital room. She glanced around in the semi-darkness and finally saw a man standing next to the window gazing out.

"Computer, light increase by thirty percent," he said as he turned around to face her.

A chill ran down her spine and she tensed at seeing him again. He had appeared in her dreams for a long time after his so called death. He had been part of a loop that had been playing before her every time she'd closed her eyes. The surprise on his roughed features as Emperor Philippa Georgiou had impaled him with a sword, cutting his heart in two, and thrown him out an airlock had affected her badly. Her world had been turned upside down in that instant. Her former captain, the wise and diplomatic Philippa Georgiou had transformed into a cold woman with a taste for killing. Her present captain had turned out to be an evil impostor who didn't belong in her universe while her friend and lover, Ash Tyler, had revealed himself as an experiment of warfare, sharing a body with a Klingon called Voq.

Lorca smirked. "I seem to have that effect on people nowadays," he said dejectedly.

Burnham shook out of her stupor and took a step forward. "My apologies Captain Lorca," she said kindly. "I realize that we've never really met each other but-"

"Something tells me you're not the type of woman to hold back," he said with a faint smile.

She sighed, not quite sure how to start. "I was there – in the mirror universe. I know what it was like and I can only imagine what it must have been like to be completely alone and cut off from the rest of the world as you and I know it," she finally managed politely.

"I understand _I_ recued you from a life sentence in prison," he said simply yet his voice had taken on a sarcastic tone.

Michael swallowed. "Yes, sir. I guess he saw me as a way out or at least a friendly face. In a strange way I have you to thank for my freedom," she said sincerely.

"As of what I can gather from the reports-" he trailed off and chuckled bitterly as he saw her tense. "I know they're classified but considering I am supposed to have been there I'm allowed to read them too."

Her lips curled slightly upwards in the faintest of smiles. "You were saying, sir?"

Gabriel gently reached up to rub his temples in an effort to get rid of the headache that was steadily building up. "As I was saying, Burnham, I'm not so sure it's something to say thank you for," he finished wearily.

This time a genuine smile reached the corners of Michael's lips. "I regret things are the way they are," she said. "But I have to ask you- if you had been here as the commanding officer of the _USS Discovery_ would you had intercepted my prison transport?"

Gabriel sighed. "No, probably not," he answered truthfully.

She pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure and glanced out the window for a moment, then nodded. "And you would not have saved Ambassador Sarek out on a whim because I asked you?"

"I might not be a stickler to protocols at all times, Commander Burnham but-"

Michael broke into a bittersweet smile. "Then, in a way, I guess I am glad it was him and not you, sir," she offered apologetically.

Lorca shook his head. "Well, I take no offence," he said simply and let out a deep breath. "I just feel the whole situation is so surreal. I supposedly blew up my ship and by doing so I killed my entire crew to keep them from falling into the hands of the Klingons. Then I was offered a new command of a mysterious ship called _Discovery_ which is equipped with an experimental drive. I ran off on some wild goose chase in an effort to get home and while doing so I failed to bring the means to end the war to the Federation and thereby killing thousands of people. The end result of that being I am considered a liability, seen as a traitor by two hundred people onboard my so called ship _Discovery_. People I've never even met before and to top it all off I'm to hand in my badge."

An awkward silence settled over the pair for a moment before Lorca brightened somewhat and turned directly to the younger woman. "I guess that was uncalled for, Burnham," he said.

"Thank you for seeing me, sir," she managed politely. "I wish we'd met under different circumstances. You're obviously a skilled tactician and for what it's worth I think that's too valuable to Starfleet to throw away."

A sly grin appeared on the captain's face for a brief moment but he said nothing, instead he turned to face the window once again.

OOOOOO

Onboard the _Discovery_ Captain Christopher Pike found himself brooding over everything that had happened lately. He gazed out through the window into the blackness of space. The ship was stationary and it was late, the hallways outside had been dimmed indicating that the night-shift had started. The intensity and buzzling onboard had dropped to a minimum and silence had settled over the communication channels.

He missed Number One and Phil. He needed a sounding board at times like this. He supposed there were plenty of people who wanted to be there for him, Admiral Cornwell, Commander Saru, Commander Nhan, perhaps even Burnham. It just wasn't the same thing.

He'd been through hell and back on his first five-year-mission onboard the _Enterprise_ but he supposed the definition of bad times varied depending on what dangers you met. This mission was no walk in the park, not that he'd expected it to be but still.

He was absentmindedly drumming his fingers against the table top when the door chimed and caused him to frown in surprise considering the late hour. He blinked and straightened in his chair, grimacing at the ten plus something data pads which were strewn across his desk.

"Come," he said.

The door opened to reveal a rather grim looking Doctor Pollard. She was far from amused as she stepped into the room.

He raised a curious eyebrow as she walked up to him with a fresh set of data pads in hand. He amusedly wondered where she'd put those.

"I thought your shift ended four hours ago," he said softly by way of greeting.

She huffed and nodded as she sat down opposite him. "I should probably ask you what you're doing in your ready room at this time of night, captain," she replied sternly.

Pike shrugged casually. "I have a neglected work to catch up on," he explained.

"You can't work 24 hours a day, sir," she said kindly.

"It keeps my mind occupied," he volunteered as he refocused on the glowing pad before him. A statement that in itself indicated that something wasn't right. "What have you got for me?"

"It can wait," she deadpanned.

He glanced up in surprise at the rather harsh tone.

"It must be important enough for you to come by at this hour," he said quizzically.

"It's been a long day," she confessed. "Every time I've been trying to reach you, I've been told you were unavailable. Truth is, I didn't exactly expect to find you here but I chimed the door anyway."

"How's Tyler?" he asked with concern. "He didn't look so good the last time I saw him on the bridge."

"I've cleaned up the injury. It's a fairly deep puncture wound but he's lucky. It didn't penetrate anything vital, just tissue and muscle. He might have a little problem to use his left arm for a few days but that's it," she explained.

He nodded at that, grateful for good news; they seemed uncommon these days.

She studied him for a moment, noticing the faint lines of pain etched around his eyes. "I was expecting you too, captain," the doctor said seriously. "You know regulations require,-"

He held up a hand to stall her. "I didn't think it was meaningful. I'm not injured," he interrupted softly.

"Is that a fact?" she pushed. "I do notice the way you sit, the slight protective stance, favoring your right side, your sagging shoulders."

"I might have a few bruises," he let on sheepishly.

Pollard smirked. "And you want to feel every single one of them?"

He ignored her statement. "So Tyler's good," he deduced. "How's Culber doing?"

She looked frustrated for a moment at him for ignoring his own health. "He's having a hard time to accept that he's alive," she said.

"That's understandable. Frankly, so do I," Pike replied softly. "And I've seen a lot of strange things during my last five-year-mission."

"I don't doubt that, captain," she said. "However, given some time to come to terms with it I really see no reason for him not to be able to return to his duties as CMO of this ship."

"How's Commander Stamets taking the news?" Pike asked curiously. "Sometimes it can be just as hard for those who are closest, as in this case, in a relationship."

Tracy's lips twitched ever so slightly, first upwards due to the fact that the captain genuinely seemed to care for his people and then downwards because it wasn't all that well in the Stamets and Culber household. The doctor reached up with her hand to rub at her forehead. "As well as can be expected I suppose – not so well at all. There are issues to overcome. I can only hope for the best," she said softly. "I wish they'd see a professional counselor, they would benefit from that, both of them."

Pike nodded. "Maybe next time Admiral Cornwell is here?" he suggested. "She's an educated counselor."

The doctor nodded.

"I should have asked about an update long ago but,-" he trailed off with a sigh. "How's Commander Saru? Any lingering effects from his extraordinary condition?"

"None whatsoever, captain. I am not that well versed into Kelpien physiology but he assures me everything is fine and that there is nothing more that medical science can do for him. I can only agree at this point. His vitals are normal, well as normal as they can be, for a Kelpien. In my opinion he's been more relaxed lately, not as troubled."

"Perhaps not as afraid as he used to be," Pike suggested.

Doctor Pollard concurred with a nod.

"And Ensign Tilly? She went through quite an ordeal in the Mycelial Network," the captain said seriously.

The doctor smirked. "Ensign Tilly is something special," she said with fondness. "I do worry when she's quiet. She was that for a few hours, processing everything, mulling over things over and over again. But she's bounced back on her feet. Well, you've seen her yourself on the bridge lately."

Pike gave a faint laugh and shook his head slightly. "That I have, doctor," he said.

"There is another crewmember I am worried about though," the doctor began seriously as she studied the man sitting opposite her for a moment. "He's overworked and from the looks of it he hasn't been sleeping well lately. I suspect he's in pain too."

Pike leaned back in his chair suspiciously.

"He's caring about others but obviously don't give a damn about his own health. He is vital for the function of this ship and this crew, his name is Christopher Pike; _Captain_ ," she deadpanned.

Pike pursed his lips and sighed. "I see," he finally said in a subdued voice. "What am I going to do about that?" he asked innocently as he leaned forward.

"You'll accompany me to sickbay, sir. Humor me by allowing me to give you something for the pain and then go to bed. And by going to bed I don't mean reading reports and signing things in a flat position. That doesn't count."

Pike gingerly straightened, not bothering to hide anything from her any longer. "Let me guess. You want to go there right away, Doctor Pollard?" he said.

"Sounds like a very good idea, Captain Pike," she replied cunningly.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	12. Found and Lost

**Chapter Twelve**

 _Found and Lost_

"Commander," Admiral Cornwell said by way of acknowledgement as she boarded the _Enterprise_.

"Admiral," Una greeted politely. "They said you could not be reached."

"I had some business to tend too," she replied cryptically and glanced around the large bay. "I had a talk to the station commander. He says the repairs are coming along nicely."

"There are still some things that have not been delivered yet," Una deadpanned.

"Trust me, he's aware of that and, just a word of caution, Commander; he's noted you're eager to disembark. Harassing the man is not going to help your case."

Una's lips twitched ever so slightly upwards. "I would not call it harassment, Admiral. I simply felt that he needed to be pushed in a certain direction a little bit faster."

"Off the record; I might agree with you," the Admiral replied slyly. "We can't afford to have the flagship sitting idle here. The mission uncovering the truth about those seven red signals appears to be a bit more complicated than we first thought."

Una raised an impeccable eyebrow at the statement. "Is there something I should know?" she asked carefully.

Kat shook her head somewhat dejectedly. "Admiral Patar is getting more and more concerned about the signals. She's expressed a concern that these signals are a sign of something sinister."

Number One frowned. "That is not logical and Admiral Patar is a logical extremist," she pointed out.

"Control has assessed the situation as dangerous and recommended that the 'Red Angel' whom appears to be directly involved with the signals should be eliminated," Cornwell explained.

"Control is an AI, a threat assessment program," Una remarked casually. "Forgive me, Admiral, but you make it sound like it's a sentient being."

"It's supposed to be fail proof," Kat drawled. "Now, the latest report from Captain Pike says that the 'Red Angel' appears to be a human clad in a very advanced space suit that has the ability to time travel. As to why he or she does; no one knows. There is no way of talking to it."

"Maybe it's some spoiled kid who borrowed his or her mother's space suit," Una suggested sarcastically "Who knows what's going on in the future."

Cornwell gave her a sharp look.

"I am curious," Una began, "Why is Leland running after Pike? To say he's not pleased about it is a direct understatement."

"These are extreme circumstances. We need everyone to work together on this mission despite any differences they might have had in the past," she replied cryptically.

"With all due respect, Admiral," Una said softly with a hint of concern. "Leland is not a stable guy. I don't trust him to have Chris's back."

"A fair bit of warning, Commander," the admiral cautioned steely. "It is not for you to decide who works together and not."

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca had his finger poised over check box button. The file on the pad that he had before him had been declassified to him since he was supposed to know about it. He felt hesitant to access it for some reason as he tore his gaze from the pad for a moment and looked out through the windows in the day room at the ward in which he was currently residing. It was a beautiful day outside today yet he could not leave this section of the hospital. He wouldn't get very far, he could convince some orderly to wheel him out in a chair for a while or use hover-crutches but neither of it appealed to him at the moment. He was weaker than he liked to admit due to the surgeries done to correct the extensive damage to his leg but now he had hope of a better future. The lead physician had assured him that it was going to take some time but that he was going to get full mobility back.

The former captain of the _USS Buran_ sighed and refocused on the pad at hand and pointed at the screen to light it up again. "Classified material, authorization code required," was displayed. He punched in a few commands and waited. " _USS Discovery_ ," he read to himself. "Prototype vessel for scientific exploration and instant travel. Registry number NCC - 1031."

OOOOOO

Katrina Cornwell was furious and very disappointed at Leland and Georgiou as she stared at them from across the room. "You mean to tell me that you had him and that Burnham stole him right under your noses?" she questioned. "I refuse to believe that one officer, even though a resourceful one, could get off this vessel unhindered while aiding a man in need of medical attention and then disappear."

Leland glanced at his feet while Philippa met her eyes with a sheepish look on her face.

"I'll have you know that a probe sent from the future almost killed Captain Pike and Agent Tyler yesterday. By look on your faces I'd say neither one of them have reported it in yet," Katrina noted.

 _"I'll demand to know why the minute you're off the air, Admiral,"_ Leland assured her darkly.

"Agent Tyler was injured while pushing Pike out of the way of a,- what would be best described as a metallic monster," she explained.

Georgiou snorted. _"Metallic monster," she echoed sarcastically. "There are no such things, except in those bad horror movies they keep onboard the Discovery."_

"Well, I won't keep you," Cornwell replied, her tone of voice equally sarcastic as her holographic image shimmered out of existence.

Georgiou turned to look at her superior officer, even though she preferred to call him inferior or at least equal. "You'll have to stop making a fool out of us, Leland," she drawled in an upbeat voice as she turned on her heels to walk away, leaving him alone on the bridge wing.

He clenched his jaws together and squeezed the railing with his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white as he glared at her.

OOOOOO

Ash Tyler woke up screaming entangled in his sheets. It had been weeks since his last episode. He saw the Klingon before him and he realized in dismay that he was stuck with a particular memory of Voq making love to L'Rell. It disgusted him, threw him off balance and made the hair at the back of his neck rise. He hastily got up and went over to the sink to splash some water into his flushed face. He stared at the mirror for a moment, taking in his sorry appearance. He looked drawn, his eyes appeared slightly glazed and he was feeling light-headed. To say he wasn't at his best was a mild understatement. He didn't want to call sickbay, didn't want to get anything for his aches. Truth to be told he still felt terrible for what happened to Doctor Culber, he could still hear the sickening sound of the man's neck being twisted under the force of his own hands. They kept telling him it wasn't his fault but who else fault would it be? There was no denying it, he had been the one to kill the doctor.

Seeing him again now after they'd rescued him from the Mycelial Network had triggered a bad reaction.

He snorted as he recalled Captain Pike's sarcastic tone. _"Are you familiar with the term bad penny, Mr. Tyler?"_ Ash gave a mirthless laugh at the memory. _"You killed a member of this crew."_

He had said it had been Voq. He didn't see him anymore, didn't feel his presence the way he did before but he was still there deep within the dark realms of his punished soul.

"I'm sorry but there is no way to get rid of him, sir," he recalled saying. It had been the truth.

"Get a grip, Ash," he admonished himself as he stared into the mirror. "You've already dealt with this."

He bowed his head and closed his eyes as he began to chuckle mirthlessly. What a sorry sight he was. He recalled Captain Pike's sincerity after the latest mission with surprise. The captain had admitted that he'd been right, that he had acted recklessly and taken on missions he needn't go on. The interim captain of the _Discovery_ was no fool and the more Ash saw of Pike, the more he liked the man. He wasn't condemning nor was he judging anyone without reason to do so.

Ash knew he had crossed the line back there in the shuttle, questioning the captain's orders and for that Pike had threatened to throw him in the brig. After this mission he would have accepted that but there was no need. Despite their bad start they'd gotten along just fine, working like a well-oiled machine together during the attack upon the shuttle. Ash had saved Pike's life and then the captain had saved his. A mutual form of respect had started to grow between them.

Ash sighed and stared at the mirror, stared at the lanky man with the tousled hair, beard and sunken eyes. It was time to get himself together again. He recalled Michael's words in the turbolift, her disdain for Section 31, for the covert missions and shady operations. She had asked how he could be okay with that. He found that he wasn't okay with it anymore, not after Leland had cloaked their ship next to _Discovery_ and watched it nearly get destroyed in the Mycelial Network, heard their reasoning when it came to Michael's brother Spock, how they would not hesitate to kill him to extract the information they needed. It sickened him to hear Georgiou and Leland discuss how taking a life could be justified for the sake of a mission. Pike was the opposite of Leland, he left no one behind and he cared about his crew. He saw the importance of working together and he wasn't afraid to throw himself into danger. Ash made a promise to himself – to make sure that Leland kept out of Pike's way.

OOOOOO

Lorca glanced at the calendar and sighed. It had been four months and despite the technological advancements in the medical field he still hadn't gotten rid of his limp. He was sick of surgeries, of correcting surgeries, of the sick feeling while coming out of the anesthetic.

Then there was the matter of his assessment whether or not he was considered stable or not. He huffed at that, the mirror universe could make the sanest person insane in a minute. Galaas told him he'd come a long way already but it didn't feel like it. He remembered Lieutenant Tyler's words of caution and sighed as he realized the man had been right. While he might have tried to forget and tried to move on the people of the Federation had obviously not. As he had hobbled along next to Galaas in the garden yesterday evening a reporter had walked up to them and started to ask questions. He'd demanded to know how the war hero, the supposedly deceased captain of the USS _Discovery_ had miraculously been resurrected. Where he had been and what he had done? Counselor Galaas had been fuming and ordered the reporter away when he'd refused to listen to her she'd called security. They had escorted the man off the premises. However, the damage had already been done.

Gabriel wondered what would happen next. Would they dig into the records, find their way inside the classified records and find the hidden truth or would they stumble upon the impostor? All the horrible things he'd done, how would he explain to the masses that it hadn't been him at all? Gabriel shuddered at that and forced those dark thoughts aside.

He hoped Kat would be back soon, he missed her terribly.

OOOOOO

Christopher Pike felt like he'd been through wringer. This had to be the craziest mission he'd ever embarked on and he had been through a lot of stuff during his career. A ship capable of running on a highway of mushrooms, a crazed emperor from the mirror universe, his old friend Leland heading up Section 31, Spock losing his mind, a former mutineer, an ensign being kidnapped by a microorganism from the Mycelial Network, a Kelpien going through the transformation of his life, a Klingon/human named Ash Tyler whom he didn't know if he could trust or not. Then there was the ship's CMO who'd been resurrected from the dead.

To top it all off, like the acing of the cake, Vina and the Talosians had come back to haunt him again. His mind was still a bit of a mess from the last time. He could need a drink right about now and share a laugh with Phil or talk to Una. He missed them terribly at the moment. Una would be delighted to hear that he'd found Spock, and he guessed that Phil would have been too.

He hesitated, his hand hovering over the intercom button for a moment and then he sighed deeply. "Bryce, get me a secure channel to Admiral Cornwell," he said.

 _"I'm setting it up now, captain,"_ the communication's officer replied at once. _"Contact has been established. Whenever you're ready, sir."_

He stared at the holographic image of Katrina Cornwell before him as he nodded. "Thanks Bryce," he said seriously.

The Admiral didn't look pleased, far from it in fact, as she narrowed her eyes at him. _"Chris, care to tell me why you've run off with Spock and Burnham and left Leland and Georgiou behind?"_ she questioned. _"He ordered you to report to Starbase 11 and await disciplinary actions."_

"First of all I don't recognize Leland's authority and because they want to kill Spock," he deadpanned.

 _"And what do you base that assumption on?"_ she pressed, ignoring his first statement.

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "The fact that they tried to rip his mind apart by some new gadget of theirs," he answered. "Burnham's words, not mine, and for the record I do trust her explicitly on this."

Katrina still didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Look, you asked me to work with Leland and I accepted that but you should also bear in mind that my so called friend left me to die several years ago on Rigel," he said darkly. "In my world Starfleet leaves no one behind."

 _"He thought you were already dead,"_ she reasoned.

"So that makes it all right? Did he tamper with the records or are you really that dense, Admiral?" he asked sarcastically. "I can't believe that you,-"

 _"I don't. I am not okay with things like that,"_ she interrupted darkly. _"Section 31 whisked him away right in front of the tribunal. The former leader of the organization claimed he could be of use there when the time was right. Leland had the potential to see to things we could not do on our own."_

Pike held up a hand to stall her. "I don't want to hear more," he said.

 _"Chris, please, I know I have been asking a lot of you lately,"_ Kat said softly. _"I am not praising him for that, in fact I am condemning him for it. You were cadets Chris, young and somewhat foolish. When you worked together as ensigns he did save your ass."_

He smirked. "So you've been reading up," he noted.

 _"Think of it this way,"_ she reasoned. _"I know you're not going to like it but take an old fashioned coin; on one side there's the best and brightest captain in the fleet and on the other is his counterpart, the best and brightest captain in Section 31."_

Pike huffed at that.

 _"Right now I need the two of you to work together," Kat said seriously. "It's for the greater good, Chris."_

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	13. Threading Deep Waters

**Chapter Thirteen**

 _Threading Deep Waters_

"You're frustrated," Lorca noted curiously with a playful yet innocent half-quirk on his lips as Cornwell walked into his room.

She pursed her lips and smirked. "Hello to you too, Gabe," she replied.

He patted the side of his bed lightly, indicating for her to come and sit with him. "What's gotten you so riled up?" he asked softly. "I should be the one all worked up considering everything that's happened."

She snorted. "Careful what you're saying now, Gabe," she cautioned softly. "There is a posse of reporters knocking at SFC's front door claiming to have seen a war hero at the premises; one that should be dead."

Lorca got solemn and ran a hand through his short brown hair. "I'm sorry if I've gotten you into trouble, Kat. I was going crazy in here," he said. "However, I don't think I'm the one you're cursing at the moment."

She shook her head as she sat down next to him. "No, you're right. Even though, it was a rather foolish thing to do, Gabe," she admonished. "You should have let the SFC release something about you being alive first."

He waited for her to continue. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm sorry. I am not at liberty to discuss that with you. You're not a trusted individual these days, remember?" she teased.

"Fair enough. Just a hint then?" he pushed lightly.

"I didn't realize how much I have missed you," she whispered softly.

"Hey," he whispered as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Leland and Pike," she muttered. "They're not getting along."

Lorca frowned for a moment. "Leland? Is that bastard still alive?" he asked.

"Gabe," Kat said.

"And poster boy Pike," he said sarcastically as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Forgive me, Kat, I don't know either of them very well but I'd say they're opposites of each other. Why on earth should they work together?"

The admiral sighed. "It's complicated," she replied solemnly.

"Must be. I thought Leland was cashiered out of the service several years ago," Lorca mused. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to chase after _Discovery_ and get onboard to see if I can sort it out," she said resolutely.

OOOOOO

Phil glanced up from the medical file he had been filing into the system as Una walked in through the door, her shoulders slumped and her expression gloomy.

"I don't like that troubled look on your face, Una," he said kindly.

She sighed in frustration and shook her head as she came to stand next to him. "I've been in communication with Admiral Patar. She just informed me that my commanding officer is now considered to be a liability to Starfleet and,-"

"Wow,-" Phil interrupted. "Chris a liability to the fleet?"

"Apparently he took off with the _Discovery_ , defied Section 31 and went into hiding somewhere out of reach," she explained.

"You know Chris," Phil reasoned. "He would never do such a thing unless he was on to something."

"Apparently he's rubbed the head of Section 31 the wrong way, and she's not the only one. Phil, the Admiral said she had the highest respect for Captain Pike and his service record but if he kept it up there was a possibility that he might not return to his command."

"Wait a minute," Phil protested. "You seriously mean to tell me that they might take the _Enterprise_ away from Chris?"

She shook her head bitterly. "This is all wrong," she said fiercely. "Someone tried to frame Spock for those murders he didn't commit and now Chris."

"I can't believe all of them believe that," Phil said skeptically. "What about Admiral Cornwell? What does she have to say?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't been able to contact her. Her office says she's out and can't be reached. There's no return date."

Una banged her fist on the desk top in frustration. "I have to warn him somehow, Phil," she said.

OOOOOO

 _"Certified dead War Hero seen alive near Starfleet Medical,"_ Admiral Adams recited seriously. "Then comes a pretty clear picture of you, captain."

Gabriel sighed, carefully avoiding the Admiral's admonishing stare.

Lieutenant Commander Galaas, his assigned counselor took a step forward. "With all due respect, Admiral Adams, Captain Lorca just wanted to feel the wind and the sun on his skin, it's important for the healing process."

He huffed at that. "Yes, well, it's a little complicated, Commander, as you well know."

"It is not Captain Lorca's fault Starfleet Command put him to rest and gave him a medal of honor," she pointed out. "The captain was lost to a mirror universe with no to little hope of rescue. It is simply a miracle that he's here with us."

"I cannot but agree," Adams said smartly. "Unfortunately, his counterpart delayed in bringing vital information to the fleet and thereby sentenced thousands of bright and innocent men, women and children to their deaths."

Lorca swallowed.

"They who bear witness to it cannot forget, commander," the admiral replied coldly. "Those whom he manipulated to achieve what he wanted will not forget."

"I am not him; I am not that Lorca," Gabriel said seriously. "It sickens me that you're even comparing me to that man."

"There are going to be questions about where you've been. What you've done and how you survived," Adams cautioned. "Obviously we can't give them the truth. Paranoia and fear of the mirror universe would spread like a wild flower thorough the Federation."

"No," Gabriel said suddenly. "With all due respect, Admiral Adams, I am not taking this crap anymore. You know where I have been and it was hell. Nothing you throw at me can even compare to some of the things over there. The way I see it it's up to SFC to come up with a cover story for my absence and then resurrection."

"If they ask you about your ship, the _Discovery_ , and her crew; what are you going to tell them?" Adams pushed.

"That they were bright souls, they still are, and that they're now trying to save the Federation from,-"

"Their mission is classified," the Admiral interrupted coldly.

"I am surprised that no one's gotten the winds of the fact that Captain Christopher Pike is not overseeing the retrofit of the flagship," Lorca remarked.

"Captain Pike is officially on leave. He's been seen at the Academy a few times and back at SFC for the sake of it," Adams replied dryly.

"That's only been doable due to the spore drive hub _Discovery_ is housing. An experimental drive that was abandoned by the fleet after the end of the war. Have you left your ethical principles somewhere,-"

"Enough, Captain Lorca," Adams interrupted angrily. "You think you know everything. Let me enlighten you that you do not. A lot of things are going on behind closed doors. I have faith in Admiral Cornwell and Admiral Patar when it comes to this matter and the joint mission between Starfleet and Section 31."

"Gentlemen," Lieutenant Commander Galaas said with a note of warning in her tone. "This will get us nowhere."

"Agreed," Adams replied curtly and nodded at Lorca before he stomped off.

Galaas blinked at him and turned to follow the admiral.

"One year, two-hundred-and-twelve-days of torture," he whispered as he watched them leave. 'And this is what I get for staying alive' he wondered sarcastically.

Lorca sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he stared out through the window overlooking the large courtyard and kept his eyes trained on a few cadets playing baseball. They were so full of life, so innocent and naïve; life had not ruined them yet.

With a pang of regret he came to wonder what happened to those crazy souls he'd met in the mirror universe. They captured Commander Landry; that's one of last things he learned before he and Straal penetrated the boundaries of the mirror universe. He never knew what happened to Captain Michael Burnham but he had the pleasure of running into the Emperor's new favorite; Captain Sylvia Tilly, nicknamed Captain Killy, of the _ISS Discovery_. Rest assured when he'd seen her ruthlessness up close and remembered the pain she'd caused him on their little run-in he had no trouble to understand why she'd gotten that nickname. Straal's buddy, Paul Stamets, had been a bully and a creep; a man who'd betrayed his friends just to ensure his own safety at the Emperor's ship.

Lorca closed his eyes briefly as if doing that would wash away the anguish and confusion he felt at his predicament; both the one he'd been in and the one he was in now. The only thing he wanted was to start anew or continue living where he left off.

OOOOOO

"This is ridiculous," Ash protested angrily, a glare directed at Pike. "Can't you see that someone is setting me up?"

The captain took a step closer to the containment field separating the cell from the area outside. "If that is true, Agent Tyler, then would you please explain to me why your codes have been used to transmit messages to Section 31 headquarters and why you've been sabotaging the spore drive?" he asked coldly.

"Captain, I would never do such a thing. Someone is framing me. You have to find out who it is before something else happens," he reasoned stubbornly.

"The evidence is clear, Tyler," Pike said tight-lipped.

"Exactly," he concurred as he took a step forward, coming so close to the field that it sparkled. "Too clear."

 _"Captain Pike, please report to the bridge immediately,"_ Bryce said seriously over the intercom. _"Captain Pike report to the bridge."_

"I didn't do it," Ash reasoned.

OOOOOO

 _He stared at the mighty ship, she looked like a shining homing beacon in space. The flagship of the Federation; the Enterprise. His mood plummeted and he felt his mouth go dry. It wasn't the Enterprise as he knew it; it wasn't the Federation markings on her flanks._

 _"Damn," Captain Killy muttered coldly. "What is he doing here?"_

 _Weary and affected by the high fever Lorca could only stare at the view screen from his flattened position on the floor of the brig. He didn't understand what had upset the young captain so dearly._

 _The screen flickered for a moment and the image of the Enterprise was replaced by one of her captain – Christopher Pike._

 _"Killy," he said, the greeting sarcastic as he gave her a curt dimpled smile._

 _"Hello, Fleet Captain Pike," she replied seductively. "What brings you back from the frontline?"_

 _"Boredom," he deadpanned._

 _Gabriel frowned at the exchange. There was something odd going on before him. Captain Killy's demeanor had changed. She'd gone from ruthless and cold to snarky and flirty all at once. He almost let out an ironic chuckle as he realized that the arrogant young woman was in love with her superior officer. In a moment of clarity he suddenly wondered what this version of Pike was like. Judging by everyone else he'd met he was sure that Pike was as cold and calculating as the rest of them; not the fair and gentle man he'd seen briefly while attending a speech at the Academy several years prior._

 _"Is that Lorca?" Pike asked curiously, in disbelief._

 _"I thought so at first," she replied with a smirk. "But no, there is something odd going on here. There is this weird quantum reading and he's been begging for mercy – Lorca would never do that."_

 _Pike huffed amusedly as he leaned back in his chair. "So you haven't told the Emperor of your find? Planning on keeping him for yourself?"_

 _A sly smile spread on her lips. "What pleasure would that bring? He's not you, sir," she replied mischievously. "I'll dump him at the nearest prison camp to save myself any trouble. He's such a weak character that he almost perished in the agonizing boot."_

 _The smile on his face vanished as he leaned forward. When he spoke his voice was low and chilly. "If you by that statement insinuated that you want me in the torture chamber I'll have you spaced after I've,-"_

 _"Hush, Chris," she interrupted. "I simply meant he's not by far reaching your standard and I'd never dream of putting you in one of those. The only place I'd like you to be would be in my bedroom."_

 _The dimpled smile was back. "Another time, Killy. As soon as the Enterprise is restocked I'm out of here to see if there's anything worth conquering in the vast unknown," he said._

"Captain Lorca?" a voice suddenly asked.

He blinked his eyes open, once again back in the starkly white room at Starfleet Medical.

The nurse beamed brightly at him. "You were dreaming again," she said kindly. "I believe it was a nightmare."

Gabriel nodded. "Something like that," he whispered. "What time is it?"

"Almost o-six-hundred-hours," she replied softly.

"Then there is no point in going back to sleep," he reasoned.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	14. Dark Forces

**Chapter Fourteen**

 _Dark Forces_

Kat was still a bit shaken up after the revelation as she came to stand next to the lifeless body of Commander Airiam. Doctor Pollard silently moved away as Captain Pike gently walked up to stand next to her.

"I'm still having a hard time coming to terms with recent events," she mumbled sadly. "The 'Red Angel' is on our side, it's been all along."

Pike nodded following her gaze at the cybernetically enhanced woman on the biobed. "Control itself killed Admiral Patar and her trusted officers," he deduced darkly. "It invaded Commander Airiam's circuits, forced her to download all of her memories to _Discovery_ and upload information that would be of use to the AI and link it up at the HQ."

"No wonder it knew of our moves as Commander Airiam, without realizing it, fed everything we did to it," the Admiral reasoned.

"You said once that it was fail proof. I think we just proved it wasn't," he said lightly, a triumphant smile on his pale face.

Kat nodded. "How's Commander Burnham and Commander Nhan?" she asked.

"Holding on," he replied cryptically. "They've been through a pretty insane ordeal. It's not every day you're given an order to kill another officer, a valued member of the crew and friend."

"You're right, it should never happen to anyone," she mused.

"They need a little time to come to terms with it but I think they'll be fine," he said and turned to leave.

"You know," the Admiral began regrettably. "Tyler was right. Someone did set him up – Airiam."

Pike made a face. "Yes, I owe him an apology," he replied wearily.

OOOOOO

To Katrina Cornwell the funeral was hard to attend; not only because of the sacrifice Commander Airiam gave but because of the flashbacks to another funeral – Gabriel Lorca's. She was once again standing in front of the empty shell of the photon torpedo that they used to replicate as a last resting place for the brave souls that lost their lives in the line of duty. This one was breaking her apart, clawing at her soul, taking a part of her with it deep into the abyss of space. She forced down the despair she felt and blinked away the tears that started to form. She never cried these days, had no tears left to shed after so many years in the heat of battles, hardship and losses. Now one of her dearest friends and even lover had left her, causing her to become a bitter and worn woman, a shell of her former self. 'Life is given and life is taken' her old mentor had said. She had huffed at that, to her it seemed life was only taken nowadays.

Then there was a careful twitch to her upper lip and the beginning of a smile manifested itself on her lips as she came to realize that Gabriel hadn't died; that he'd come back to her. She glanced around the room and took notice of the saddened crew of _Discovery_ and the coffin that would carry Commander Airiam on her last journey across the stars. It was then she noticed that on their faces was not only sadness but also hope. She glanced sideways at the rocksteady man at her right and realized he must be the reason. He was the tether that brought them all together, united them, made them believe in themselves and work together through this difficult journey.

Christopher Pike noticed her scrutiny and without actually turning toward her he gave her a careful dimpled smile and unknowingly eased her worries.

OOOOOO

"Captain," Ash acknowledged as Nhan gently released the overseer bracelet from the Security department.

Pike's face was unreadable at the moment, stern yet regretful and at the same time full of sorrow.

It hit Ash like a ton of rocks, the funeral. Commander Airiam had been compromised by 'control'. The heavily augmented woman had tried to frame him for it but in the end they'd figured it out.

"You're free to go, Agent Tyler," the captain said seriously as he gave him a curt nod and turned to leave.

Leaving Nhan behind Tyler set out in the corridor to catch up with Pike. "Just like that?" he asked disappointed as he fell into steps with the higher ranking officer. "No, apology?"

Pike stopped and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, Tyler, but given circumstances I had no choice," he replied, his tone of voice smooth and kind unlike Tyler's who'd been laced with bitterness.

The captain was good at that, he never took the bait so to speak. He answered in a friendly tone, giving a reasonable explanation for his actions. Ash couldn't blame him for it. If the situation had been reversed he would have done the same thing and given his track record and considering whom he was working for Ash knew that he had to work hard to gain trust from the flagship officer. If he was to be frank he had trouble getting through to Michael and Saru at times.

"To be honest," Tyler said seriously as he stepped into the turbolift right after Pike. "I would have done the same thing."

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca leaned back in his chair and sighed. Had the file been printed on paper it would have been thumbed, bent, crumpled and soiled with coffee so many times it would not have been readable; thank goodness for waterproof data pads.

The more he read, the more he understood, the more he could see why Kat didn't think it would be such a good idea for him to visit the _Discovery_. Burnham had been civilized enough yet he had felt the tension in the room while she visited, seen how cautious she had been around him, not really trusting him. Gabriel didn't blame her considering what he'd been reading up on. His counterpart had been a savage and he was dismayed, taken aback by the fact that the man who harbored so much evil, had such an ego and wanted nothing but power could share his features and face. 'Had he really had a romantic relationship with his so called daughter?' It sickened him to even think about it. Sometimes he had trouble looking at people he'd seen in the mirror universe because he was afraid to judge them; he wondered dejectedly how many people aboard the _Discovery_ and around Federation space would judge him after his appearance and the actions taken by his counterpart.

There was one thing he and his counterpart could agree on and that was the capacity and efficiency of the senior officers on board the _Discovery_. He had handpicked them from various places, some of them from _USS Shenzhou._

The pilot or helmsman, Keyla Detmer, was a promising woman who'd logged hours and hours of flight time and managed to perform at peak efficiency pulling off dicey maneuvers like it was some walk in the park. The woman had been injured during the war and received an augmentation to help her regain what she'd lost; part of her eyesight. Considering what he was going through with his leg at the moment he could do nothing but compliment her and her will to get back in the saddle. Getting recertified as a pilot after that kind of injury was tricky at best even though augmentation in most cases meant that the senses were enhanced. The process itself usually provided the person with side effects such as various aches, rejection from the body and glances from colleagues; all kinds of things.

The Ops officer, short for operations officer, Joann Owosekun was another stable woman who was skilled at her station. He found that interesting enough since she was raised in a Luddite collective, a group of people who wanted nothing to do with advanced technology.

His choice as communications officer had been Ronald Altman Bryce. A junior grade lieutenant who'd tried his hands at piloting but felt that he would be more suited for the communications branch. He was a regular officer, a man with exceptional grades but his personal file was pretty thin. Gabriel found himself wondering if there was no more to the man than that. He didn't find any hobbies or interests nor did he find any commendations or recommendations.

Lorca sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He'd been staring at the pad for what felt like ages but didn't want to stop, he was still curious about the people on board the _Discovery_. For obvious reasons his counterpart couldn't have chosen officers who knew him on a deeper level unless he was exceptionally skilled at hiding his true identity. Then again perhaps he'd been just that because Kat hadn't suspected anything at first and Ellen Landry should have been able to single him out. He had no doubt that she would have done just that had she not been killed.

He pushed a button and came to the Tactical Officer's position of _Discovery_. "Gen Rhys," he mused. The young lieutenant had been promoted to Chief Tactical Officer after Commander Landry's demise. Lorca scrolled through the file. "Skilled in martial arts training," he read aloud. The guy was obviously good but he was still young.

Next came the personnel file of Commander Airiam. Gabriel stared at the picture for a moment and shook his head sadly. The woman was heavily augmented, in fact she didn't look like a human at all. He frowned and scrolled down the pages in confusion. It said she was a human, not an android. As he read further he realized she had a very tragic past. He found that he admired her for getting back on her feet after the accident that killed her husband and injured her to such an extent that she looked nothing like she once had. 'Had the woman even been alive in the first place?' He wondered. She had been badly burned, the flesh hadn't been salvageable. Her eyes and parts of her brain had been replaced, it must have been a field day for Starfleet Medical. Gabriel shook his head and moved on to the next file on the pad.

"Commander Saru," he read aloud.

The only Kelpien in the fleet. A man whose curiosity and resourcefulness had led to him being found and picked up by Lieutenant Georgiou. The Kelpien species was an interesting one. They could sense death coming. Their society was pre-warp yet they had been introduced to technology by the Ba'ul. Saru was eager to learn and had attempted to understand ninety-four languages, an achievement that would seem impossible to almost every linguist in the galaxy. He loved to study and wanted to understand people and societies He graduated as an anthropologist and qualified as a first contact specialist. Gabriel huffed. Impostor Lorca must have been taking advantage of the natural fear that Saru was feeling all the time and counted on the fact that the Kelpien always followed orders since he was constantly afraid of doing something wrong. It was a smart move. However, a transformation had taken place recently that was caused by something simply called the sphere for those with restricted access. The Sphere had caused the Kelpien to fall into what was called the Vahar'ai – the final stage of life. Instead of being killed Saru had survived and gotten rid of his ganglias, he no longer feared the world as much as he had before, it made him a better officer.

Lorca yawned and blinked tiredly, he was almost done. He smirked as Michael Burnham's file came up on the display. Her record was tarnished, her reputation not yet fully restored after having been a catalyst for the Federation-Klingon war. Instead of giving up she grasped at the second chance his counterpart had given to her and took it. She had saved the _Discovery_ , brought it back from the mirror universe and received the Medal of Honor with the rest of her crewmates for her actions. She had been reinstated with her previous rank as Commander and reinstated as science officer onboard the Discovery as it was to embark on a new mission.

They were quite a team considering their merits but he knew that merits didn't really matter if they didn't work together. What his counterpart, mirror Lorca, obviously lacked was social skills and faith in his crew. That had taken a toll, he was sure of that. They distrusted the chain of command, learned that their commanding officer couldn't care less for their lives and that was never a good thing on board a starship. He didn't envy Captain Pike who had to get them to work together; to get them to trust again. He began to think that Kat had been very devious when she'd arranged this little get together, transferring Pike off the damaged flagship and onto the _Discovery_ , if only as an interim captain. Christopher Pike was considered one of the best captains in the fleet, a man harboring both the necessary social skills, tactical skills and diplomatic skills needed to be able to take on a mission and sort it out. His own crew could do with a little rest while the ship was being refitted and repaired. Gabriel had a sneaky suspicion that Kat somehow had planned it all along.

Tiredly he looked up to see a man approach him, his expression unreadable but Lorca knew enough about body language to know that the man was angry. He had no doubt their conversation would be about the reporters finding him alive and recuperating on the premises. Lorca smirked, he'd thought that their last conversation had covered everything but obviously he'd been wrong. He sighed and found himself missing the support of Kat – even Counsellor Galaas.

OOOOOO

 _"Kat,"_ Admiral Adams said as he appeared before her, his holographic image shimmering into place. _"Your friend is causing us trouble."_

"Hello to you too, Robert," she greeted dryly. "You'll have to forgive me, it's been a long day. Which friend are you referring too? If it's Lorca, he's a grown man, he's free to do what he want."

 _"Did you find Discovery? What does Captain Pike have to say to his defense?"_ he questioned, ignoring her statement.

"It's better you don't know every detail," she said wearily. "This is worse than we thought. I've just made an announcement to the Section 31 ships and I'll do the same to the regular fleet. No one is to access 'control'."

Adams huffed as she crossed his arms over his chest. _"I wonder what Admiral Patar has to say about that. She practically adores the program – calls it rational."_

"We found the real Admiral Patar and the rest of the admiralty in charge of Section 31. They're all dead, Robert," she said seriously.

 _"Excuse me?"_ he exclaimed in disbelief.

"I know it all seems a little farfetched but the AI killed them. It fabricated lies about Lieutenant Spock and tried to gain access to the sphere data Discovery is housing, first by attacking Captain Pike and Agent Tyler while in a shuttle and then by taking over Commander Airiam, overriding her system," Cornwell explained darkly. "I will not report our next step through any channels. I don't know what is safe and what isn't anymore. No one is to contact me before I'm back at SFC, is that clear?"

He nodded _. "I will see to it that the charges brought to Captain Pike and Lieutenant Spock will be dropped as soon as possible. Is there anything more I can do from here?"_

"You make sure nothing happens to the Enterprise and you'll rush the repairs. I don't care how you do it," she said and stabbed a finger on the intercom button to end the call.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	15. Goodbye

**Chapter Fifteen**

 _Goodbye_

 _Their eyes met for a moment, hers full of retaliation, his full of complete surprise. The petite woman was a complete stranger to him yet she looked upon him with such a disgust that his heart ached._

 _"You're not dead," she deduced coldly as she turned from him to the smiling Captain Killy who stood next to her. "You'll pay for holding this man in custody, Killy. He's a fugitive, he should be brought to the emperor at once – so that she could kill him in front of everyone."_

 _He stiffened at the cold words, at being sentenced to death by a woman he didn't know, for crimes he knew nothing about._

 _Killy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she arrogantly turned to Michael. "And what crimes would that be?" she asked. "He's obviously not killed you and when it comes to the coup – I mean seriously – the emperor should have been taken away from her posting a long time ago."_

 _The smaller woman stiffened, her eyes shooting daggers. "I can have you arrested for uttering those words, Killy. Or maybe I should have your tongue cut out?" she dared._

 _Sylvia leaned toward Burnham with a smug expression and reached out to trail the other woman's jawbone with her index finger. "Just because you're her favorite doesn't mean you can decide my fate. I have performed impeccably the last couple of months. By the way you should tell me the real reason as to why you want to keep him aboard your own ship. Do you miss his company in your bed?"_

 _The reaction was instantaneous, Burnham slapped Killy across the cheek. "How dare you," she seethed darkly._

 _"There's no secret that the two of you enjoy pillow talk," she whispered smugly. "Maybe I should enlighten the emperor of that?"_

 _Burnham responded by pulling a gun on the other captain. "Listen to me, why don't you hand over Lorca to my custody at once or I'll blow your brains out?" she said in a subdued voice. "How does that sound?"_

 _Killy's eyes narrowed but she didn't appear upset nor submissive._

 _"If you want him so badly he's yours," she replied simply and added coldly. "A little piece of advice, Burnham. If you do anything like this again – all bets are off."_

Gabriel Lorca snapped his eyes open and let out a quivering breath. Another nightmare, one of those that seemed to repeat itself lately. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

"A bad one?" Counselor Galaas asked kindly as she stepped up to his bedside. "I didn't want to disturb but I couldn't help seeing you were in distress."

He shook his head bitterly. "The medication makes them worse," he said.

"Usually it helps to talk about it," Galaas offered as she took a seat next to him.

Lorca huffed at that.

"Why don't you humor me?" Galaas asked. "I'd love to hear what your inner demons say."

"Trust me, you don't," he replied smartly. "Leave me alone counselor."

She shook her head and smirked. "No, I'd rather sit here. This chair is surprisingly comfortable," she said.

He shrugged and turned around in bed so that he was facing the opposite direction. "Fine, but I'm going back to sleep."

"So you can relive it again and again and again?" she asked curiously.

"I was catching up, reading about the bridge crew of the _USS Discovery_ ," he said darkly. "It must have triggered some bad memories."

"Of their counterparts?" Galaas guessed. "Like them seeing your face probably would."

He turned around to face her. "Why are you still here?"

She leaned toward him. "I told you – I am comfortable here," she said.

"Back there, I was captured by a woman called Captain Killy – a ruthless, power-hungry woman."

"The lovely captain of the _ISS Discovery_ ," Galaas stated. "Ensign Sylvia Tilly's counterpart. Of what I've heard and seen they do not have much in common."

"She handed me over, under gunpoint, to Captain Michael Burnham, suggesting she wanted me back so she could have a little fun. Burnham in turn claimed there was nothing between the two of us and insisted I should be brought back to the emperor to be executed."

"Would that be because of the coup you told me about earlier?" Galaas asked curiously.

Lorca nodded. "Ironically she saved my life. By bringing me onboard the _Shenzhou_ I was able to befriend Justin Straal – the astromycologist she'd taken earlier from _Discovery_. He was fed up by everything in that universe and decided to help me get back if I promised to take him with me."

"He was killed in the crash at Ebaba," Galaas deduced.

"Yes," Lorca replied sadly.

"You have a lot of survivor's guilt cooped up, Gabriel," she finally said. "First, for leaving your crew behind. Then for what your impostor did and also for Justin Straal. You can't keep a lid on it. You need to let it out – work with it."

"Words – inspiring – but nothing more than words," Lorca replied bitterly.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, it doesn't suit you," Galaas replied sharply, her eyes hard. "Get rid of your baggage, Gabriel or you won't be reinstated. I know I am being frank but with you it seems to be the only way at the moment."

He watched in surprise, at loss for words, as she got out of the chair and turned to leave the room.

OOOOOO

Admiral Cornwell's eyes darkened and her mood took a turn for the worse with every word Leland chose to share with the rest of them. She should have known he'd kept something from her, she should have trusted Chris when he said Section 31 was not to be relied upon.

"You knew all the time didn't you?" she asked coldly, fixing Leland with a glare.

Saru rolled his eyes at the word time.

"I had my suspicions," he confirmed. "But I wasn't sure. I saw the bodies of the Burnham's. I watched them die, being butchered by the Klingons."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michael gulp and swallow at his harsh words and as a counselor she wanted to reach out for the woman but there wasn't time. There was so much at stake here.

"A time suit, huh?" Pike finally spoke up.

" _Project Daedalus_ ," Georgiou corrected as she dropped into one of the armchairs in the captain's ready room and casually threw one leg over the other.

Pike looked over at Michael sympathetically. "Are you all right, Burnham? You don't need to hear this."

"On the contrary, sir, I think I do," she said softly even though her eyes never left the face of Leland.

OOOOOO

"Admiral Adams," Una greeted sweetly as she walked up to him.

He sat in a conference room drumming his fingers hard against the table top, looking rather annoyed.

"My apologies, I had matters to attend too," she added. "What gives me the pleasure, sir?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, it was the way she said it that bothered him. "Commander, what is the status of the _Enterprise_?" he asked, his approach direct.

She made a face. "Almost ready for test runs, sir."

"Have you had any troubles?" he asked.

Una raised an impeccable eyebrow at him. "Plenty, sir," she replied. "But nothing we can't handle."

A moment of silence passed between them before _Enterprise's_ Commander spoke up again. "Respectfully Admiral Adams, I would like to protest against the ridiculous allegations thrown at my captain."

"This will not be officially released Lieutenant Commander but Admiral Patar has been killed. The situation is slowly gliding out of our hands. It seems our enemies are cleverer than we thought. You will be brought up to speed when Admiral Cornwell reports back to Earth. As far as Captain Pike is concerned, there are no allegations against him. He will still be your acting commanding officer."

Una's lips twitched upwards in satisfaction as she clasped her hands behind her back. "That's good news, sir. You don't happen to know where he is?" she asked curiously.

Adams shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said and got out of the chair. "I'll head up to the Commodore and request that he greenlight the _Enterprise_ as soon as possible."

Una nodded. "Good thinking, sir," she said as he left her alone in the conference room. She frowned at the incoming message on the screen and curiously pushed the button to take the call. "What is it, Nicola?"

 _"Believe it or not, ma'am but there's a Captain Gabriel Lorca on the line for you_ ," he said.

She nodded. "Reroute it here."

Una smiled at him as he appeared on the monitor before her. "Captain Lorca. I am pleased to see that you appear to be better," she said by way of greeting.

He nodded. _"Thank you, Commander. I apologize for intruding like this but I had no one else to turn to."_

"Sounds bad, sir," she deadpanned.

 _"I have been trying to get in contact with Kat, Admiral Cornwell, but no one seems to know where she is. I was hoping she'd teamed up with Discovery."_

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Captain," she replied regrettably. "It appears that Captain Pike, Captain Leland and Admiral Cornwell have disappeared off the face of the universe. I've been meaning to speak to Chris, Captain Pike, for several days. I've had no success."

Lorca sighed and absentmindedly ran his fingers through his short brown hair. _"There is something going on – something big,"_ he began darkly.

"Without doubt, captain, but I cannot tell you what I don't know," she reasoned. "We'll have to sit tight and wait for them to return. I have absolute faith in my commanding officer and I suspect that you have faith in Admiral Cornwell too."

He nodded at that. _"Thank you, Commander."_ he replied seriously.

"Anytime, Sir." she said.

OOOOOO

Gabriel took a deep breath of the chilly morning breeze and closed his eyes in delight. Being back on Earth beat everything. To feel a breeze on his skin, to feel it tousle his hair and, in this case, to be able to smell the scent of roses it brought with it from the Academy garden just a few clicks down the block was wonderful.

It was surreal to be sitting there on the wooden sofa, after everything he'd been through and after everything that had happened while he'd been AWOL. It felt better to think of it like that than to accept the fact that he'd been written off as MIA and then KIA as the _Discovery_ returned to the right universe. Here he was soon to be released from his white and clinical confinement, the walls of Starfleet Medical.

He'd come to appreciate Lieutenant Commander Galaas, or Counselor Galaas, over the weeks he'd known her. Considering the very bad start he didn't think that would be possible yet here he was thinking about her with gratitude and affection. Then again, he should have known. It had been Kat who'd recommended Counselor Galaas to take him on as a case, to try and sort him out, and Kat never surrounded herself with people she didn't like, respected or felt that she could trust. Well, there were always exceptions of course, he doubted she was very fond of Leland or Emperor Georgiou.

"So this is where you've got to," a very familiar said fondly.

He turned just in time to see Katrina Cornwell approaching from behind. She walked up to him and sat down next to him. She closed her eyes and sighed as she leaned back against the backrest of the wooden sofa.

"Where have you been?" he whispered softly as he took a moment to study her stiff features, her drawn face and slumped shoulders. "It's been over two weeks. I tried to call you – several times."

She took a deep breath and gazed across the park. "I hitched a ride with the _Discovery_. I told you I was going to try and find her." she said at length.

"What's going on, Kat?" he asked.

Wearily she reached up with her hand to rub at her temples. "I can't talk about it, Gabe," she replied.

"Can't or don't want to?" he countered.

She turned to him and when she did he instantly knew something bad had happened for Kat to be looking so admonishing, so deprived and melancholic.

"I ordered a murder, Gabe," she replied hollowly. "I purposely positioned a Starfleet officer under my command in a situation that was totally unacceptable."

"You're feeling guilty," he stated thoughtfully. "It means you have a conscience, it means you're human. Sometimes duty puts us into unimaginable positions where we have to choose a no-win scenario. Trust me – I know."

She nodded. "There is more. As the senior officer I should have had the guts to give the final command but instead I trusted it into Chris's hands."

"He is the Captain of the _Discovery_ is he not? Even though it's only temporary," Lorca reasoned.

"Captain Pike casts no blame, he doesn't judge people and he tries to bring the best out of everyone. I saw the same man wanting nothing but to condemn the whole mission, saw the way he looked at me when he ordered for Commander Burnham to be rescued."

Gabriel stiffened at the mention of the particular name. "Burnham," he stated in a subdued voice.

"What happened then is even more surreal," Kat said darkly. "Lieutenant Spock disobeyed his captain's orders and sacrificed his foster sister for the greater good of finding the source behind the seven red signals."

Lorca openly stared at his old friend for a moment, he suddenly didn't recognize her. "Kat," he began. He'd come to like the young officer, the real her, when she'd visited earlier.

"She's doing fine," the admiral finally explained. "The 'Red Angel' saved her,-" she sighed in frustration and shook her head.

"And?" he pushed lightly.

"We are chasing a monster, Gabe," she replied darkly. "If we're not able to stop it it's going to erase all sentient life from the galaxy, there will be nothing left. I thought the war was tough but this is,- I don't know what it is."

Lorca gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comfortable squeeze. "Hey," he said softly.

"You know what the worst thing is?" she said dejectedly. "We created it."

He laughed with disbelief. "Come again?"

"Section 31 created the monster that, given time, will kill everything alive. Since Section 31 is a branch within the Fleet. We are responsible."

"I don't know about you but I refuse to take the blame for something a bunch of black ops screwed up," he replied somewhat testily.

"Let's not talk about it," she muttered and forced a smile on her lips. "It's nice to see you out here, far away from that horribly white room."

He rolled his eyes and tilted his head at her. "Now it's just a matter of finding somewhere to live," he said dryly and added with just the right amount of sarcasm; "Since Starfleet decided it was a good idea to write me off as KIA my landlord decided I didn't have any further use of my flat."

Kat laughed at that.

"It's not something to laugh about, Kat, I am serious," he whined.

"You know you could always move in with me," she said softly. "I never told you how much I've missed you, did I? Thanks for being here, Gabe."

He shook his head fondly. "I've been a terrible person, Kat. I've been arguing and whining all day long when you've been to see me. What have I done to deserve your company?"

"I'll get back to you on that," she replied cheekily. "Anyway I heard from Lieutenant Commander Galaas. She commended you and told me everything of your improvements, both psychologically and physically. She even called you civilized and polite nowadays."

He laughed at that. "Poor woman, I must have been a real pain in the ass, I had a lot of issues," he replied.

"Are they settled and solved now?" she asked curiously.

"Most of them," he admitted. "I have an appointment at Admiral T'Naar's office in a few days. We're going to discuss my future in Starfleet and where to go next."

"It's good to have you back, Gabe," she repeated.

He hesitated for a moment. "Will you come with me?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she said regretfully. "I can't. I have to go away for some time."

"Kat, you've just gotten back?" he protested.

"You know how it is," she pointed out.

"I do," he concurred. "But you're an Admiral, you don't have to go yourself. Send someone else."

"Not this time, Gabe," she said cryptically.

"So, in the end I mean that little to you?" he stated sadly.

She shook her head in frustration. "No, you mean a lot to me but if I have to compare your life to all life in the entire galaxy-," she let the sentence hang in the air.

"And it's in your hands?" he questioned. "Yours and _Discovery's_ crew?"

"It's better you don't know anything," she replied in a subdued voice.

"I've been your soundboard for months," he protested. "Now you're saying A and not B again. Don't do this to me."

"I'll be leaving later tonight. It's not negotiable," she said darkly. "I'm taking off with the _Enterprise_."

"Where?" he pushed.

She shrugged. "Who knows, it's a scheduled engine test."

"You're leaving me for a simple test flight?" he asked. He knew it sounded childish but he needed her support right now, needed her strength. His personal and professional life was a mess at the moment.

"Goodbye, Gabriel," she said solemnly and slowly got up from her position next to him without anything more than a curt nod.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	16. Setbacks

**Chapter Sixteen**

 _Setbacks_

Chris groaned at the discreet beeping from the com system in his private quarters. He dragged himself out of bed and hastily threw on a thin black robe. He padded barefoot across the room and staggered then straightened before he slipped into the chair behind his desk. Pike sighed as he covered a yawn with his hand and stabbed a finger at the intercom button.

"Pike here," he managed, his voice no more than a whisper.

 _"Sorry, sir,"_ Bryce said apologetically. _"There's an incoming call for you from Admiral Cornwell."_

"Send it through," he replied.

 _"Will do, captain,"_ Bryce said.

The moment later the Admiral appeared before him. They studied each other for a moment; both of them looking tired and drawn but Pike was white as a ghost.

"Admiral," he acknowledged politely.

 _"Captain,"_ she replied by way of greeting.

This was obviously not a conversation between friends.

 _"So you managed to retrieve the crystal,"_ she said after a moment of silence.

Pike nodded. "There is only a matter of time before he finds us," he said darkly, meaning Leland.

Cornwell nodded back in understanding; the moment of truth was ramping down on them. She just hoped they were ready for it. _"We're embarking on a scheduled test of the Enterprise's engines in an hour. I'll try to speed up the process of recertification and let Number One take her out of space dock, the sooner the better. We never know when we might need her,"_ she pointed out.

Pike didn't answer, he kept staring at something she couldn't see.

 _"Chris?"_ the Admiral and educated counselor called softly.

He blinked, obviously having been miles away. "Sorry," he said.

 _"Have you been to sickbay?"_ she asked with concern.

He frowned in confusion at the question. "Why would I go there?" he asked quizzically.

She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned forward in her chair. _"You're white as a ghost, Chris, and you seem lethargic. You're at the frontline and you can't afford to be sick at the moment."_

Something snapped in him at that and he laughed bitterly. 'He'd just sacrificed his life for the cause. Didn't he deserve to be cut some slack?' "For a moment I actually thought you cared. You just had to shove the regulations in my face didn't you?"

She looked stunned for a moment. _"Chris, please, before you lash out at me hear me out. You're not allowed to fall apart at a moment like this, you're vital to the mission, and I'm not saying that because I'm worried about the outcome of the mission I am saying that because I am your friend and it is clear to me that something is bothering you."_

Pain filled, clear blue eyes fixed on her as he spoke confidently. "I'll handle it," he assured her.

 _"That is not convincing, Chris,"_ she replied kindly. _"I know for a fact that it takes a lot to get you unbalanced. I am serious. You need to talk to someone about it. I refuse to let it nag at you – whatever it is."_

"Kat," he finally said. "I don't even know where to begin."

 _"From the beginning,"_ she encouraged.

"The time crystal – it showed me something,-" he trailed off. "Something I wasn't prepared for."

 _"Your trip to Boreth,"_ she deduced.

He nodded. "Look, Kat, I appreciate what you're trying to do but I made a promise not to reveal anything. I'll be all right. I just need a moment to digest it."

She smirked unhappily but didn't push him.

"You look tired too, Kat," he said in an effort to shift focus onto her.

She snorted. _"Trying your hands at counselling now?"_ she asked lightly.

"Does it work?" he asked with a ghost of a smile.

 _"Since you were so forthcoming,"_ she remarked dryly. _"I have been trying to be there for Gabriel but every time I think I've been successful he surprises me, either he gets angry or starts to argue with me. I'm not objective to the cause. I-,"_ she sighed in frustration. _"I'm too close, Chris, yet I seem to be the only one who's had any real luck with him, except Galaas. He's told them what he knows of the mirror universe but nothing personal, nothing beyond the minimum requirements. He needs to let it all out otherwise he can't move on."_

"He's been gone for almost two years," Chris reasoned. "You can't expect him to accept, forgive and move on as if nothing's happened. It's too soon."

She closed her eyes, reached up to run her fingers halfway through her brown hair and let her forehead come to rest in the palm of her hand. _"I know,"_ she whispered. _"I know."_

"I know it's not easy to be objective to the cause and give support to a friend at the same time. I'd say it's pretty damn near impossible," he reasoned. "Get out of the box, Kat. Forget the rules and regulations for a moment and just be there for him."

She straightened in her chair as a genuine smile began to crease her lips. _"When did you become so bright?"_ she teased lightly.

"I've learned from the best," he replied smartly.

She held the smile for a moment. _"Is that some color I see on your cheeks?"_

He reached up with his hand and gently placed it to his cheek; sparking a stark reminder of what he'd seen in his vision. He almost expected to come face to face with himself again but the image of a smiling Katrina Cornwell never wavered.

"I think so," he said. "I am sorry for my behavior earlier. I was out of line."

 _"No,"_ she replied quickly. _"You were tired. You need to sleep, Chris. Go back to bed."_

He watched the screen go dark as the transmission ended and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

OOOOOO

Captain Gabriel Lorca straightened and tugged at the hem of his blue and gold uniform tunic. He didn't recall it being this tight before. The golden shoulders seemed to gleam in the sun as he stepped out in the open, made his way across the courtyard from Starfleet Medical to Starfleet Command and patiently waited for the lift to take him to Admiral T'Naar's office.

Galaas had offered to come but he'd kindly declined saying he wanted to face the admiral on his own. It had been a lie but he could not take it back now. He swallowed as he stepped out of the lift on the fifteenth floor and walked, without a limp, toward the Vulcan's office.

T'Naar was old and had been assigned to the Vulcan warfare group that had formed during the Federation-Klingon war, serving as a liaison between the Vulcan High Council, the Vulcan Fleet of Science Vessels and Starfleet. After the war T'Naar had agreed to stay on at the human led organization at Sarek's recommendation. He had become a valued member of the highest command level and the man who'd been chosen to oversee Captain Lorca's progress and cooperation and decide whether or not the man would be capable of processing everything and return to full active duty as a Captain and Starfleet officer. Unsurprisingly T'Naar had taken logic to aid his decision and facts from various departments such as medical.

Lorca took a deep breath and steeled himself before pushing the button to chime the door. He didn't recall being this nervous since before his graduation back at the academy.

"Come," a cold and distinctive voice said from inside the room.

Gabriel walked into the office and stood at attention, showing his respect for the man sitting in the chair behind a large mahogany desk.

The Vulcan studied him without a hint of emotions, not even his dark orbs gave anything away. "Gabriel Lorca," he began, his voice flat and matter of fact, as if reciting a string of numbers on a receipt but then again, it came pretty close. "Starfleet serial number SC0013-8483SHN. Rank – Captain, currently unassigned."

Lorca watched him, his face neutral and his expression blank although under the mask of indifference he was curious and hopeful, ready for reassignment.

The Vulcan narrowed his eyes slightly. "I notice you are good at keeping your current emotions in check, captain. I commend you for that. However, I have not yet told you anything positive nor negative concerning the matter that we're here to discuss."

"I would appreciate if you got to the point, Admiral," Lorca said simply.

"Not the diplomatic type, are you Mr. Lorca?" he deduced. "Patience is a virtue."

Gabriel felt his level of frustration rise but gave no outward sign, at least he thought he didn't.

"Before this very unfortunate incident you performed exemplary. It has been noted that you tried to rescue your ship and crew. Although I am curious as to what you thought you'd achieve by transporting yourself somewhere given the situation," T'Naar said.

"At the time my only choice stood between a direct capture and possible torture by the Klingons and finally death as they'd either extracted all the information they needed from me or nothing at all – either way I would be killed. I saw an opportunity and I took it. It was a no-win scenario, sir," Lorca explained grimly.

"To be a captain is to be an example for the crew; a role model if you like. Someone that sets the example, someone who motivates and pushes the crew in the right direction. A man or woman who is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for others," the Vulcan cautioned. "Here you stand before me – alive – while your ship and crew are gone."

Gabriel swallowed, his mouth dry. He already had a guilty conscience for that, there was no need for the Admiral to rub it in.

"I'm sorry, sir, but under circumstances I saw no other way to act. If I could do it again I would. I never intended to sacrifice anyone. My intention was to save all of them," he explained.

T'Naar leaned forward in his chair and gestured for Lorca to take the seat opposite him. "Very well. I do realize that you weren't in control of the unfortunate events that led to the destruction of the _USS Buran._ You cannot be held responsible for the actions that your counterpart performed during the war, nor can you be blamed for the delay in bringing _USS Discovery_ back to Federation space that resulted in an additional death toll of sixteen thousand one hundred and eight people. However, I cannot save you from the unpopularity should the actions of your impostor come to general attention. The publicity would be bad to say the least."

"Forgive me, sir, but for any of that to be leaked to the general population would mean a serious compromise of Starfleet security and a breach in protocol," he dared.

The old Vulcan nodded. "You are correct," he replied flatly. "Which makes the only hindrance to another posting your medical status."

Lorca arched an eyebrow in surprise. "How so, admiral?" he asked.

"While both Lieutenant Commander Galaas and Admiral Cornwell assures me that you'd be able to handle your – shall we say – psychological demons, Chief Medical Officer Collins has informed me that you're still in need of physical therapy. The reason as to why this is troubling is that fact that we're considering to offer you the posting as captain aboard the ship your impostor was given. The _USS Discovery_ was given to your counterpart on your merits and they're still valuable."

Lorca was conflicted at the mention of _Discovery_. While he wanted to have a new command, to feel the hum of the engines beneath his feet and see the stars streak by his window again, he wasn't so sure he was ready to handle a crew who saw him as evil and egocentric, as a man who didn't give a damn about them.

He hesitated. "With all due respect, Admiral T'Naar, I am not sure the _USS Discovery_ is the correct choice," he said.

The Vulcan nodded. "Good, then you have the strength to say no to a posting even though I might not offer you another for the sake of others. However, given a little time they might find you capable and worthy of their respect."

Gabriel shook his head sadly. "Sir, they have a picture of me which is incorrect, they have decided I am a monster, someone who's best suited to be spaced via the nearest airlock."

"Captain Lorca," T'Naar began seriously. "They have a fair picture of your impostor. He did come across as a monster. The fact remains that the ship, when it returns to space dock, will be left without a proper commanding officer. Captain Pike will be returning to the _Enterprise_ , the ship which he was assigned to command and Starfleet Command does not accept Commander Saru nor Commander Burnham to step up and fill his shoes at this moment. The decision is yours, it's not an easy one I'll admit that but if you're up to the challenge, the posting is yours."

"You're putting me between the proverbial rock and a hard place, not to mention a no-win scenario," Lorca replied.

"I see your point captain but after the loss of too many ships and loyal crewmembers, we simply don't have the capability to build new ships to the extent that we desire. The _USS Horatio_ is an old ship, the same class as _USS Shenzhou_ , she might have a few years before she's ready to be taken apart. She's not top of the line. That's the only other ship I can offer you unless you accept a stationary posting at the Academy or Starbase Three for a few years."

Gabriel nodded gloomily. "Thank you, Admiral. When do I have to give you my preference?" he asked.

"Within this week," the Admiral replied. "Whatever you choose, please choose wisely, Captain Lorca and welcome back to Starfleet."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	17. Into the Future

**Chapter Seventeen**

 _Into the Future_

Captain Christopher Pike leaned his back heavily against the bulkhead in the turbolift and then slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He was staring out into space through a shimmering force field which was the only thing that held the forward saucer section in front of him together at the moment. His mind kept replaying the last conversation he'd had with Admiral Katrina Cornwell in the room which had been situated on the other side of the blast door. The same blast door that she'd effectively sealed from inside.

 _"And if you do this; you die. This is my ship, my responsibility,-"_

 _"This isn't where your story ends,-" she said seriously yet her voice was soft as she looked deep into his eyes. "-and I think you know that."_

 _His heart had skipped a beat at that. 'She couldn't possibly know, or could she?' he thought. "If I'm meant for a different future then this can't possibly go off with me in here," he replied cunningly._

 _"Maybe not but how many people will pay the prize if you're wrong?" she asked seriously. Another compelling yet soft argument from a strong and resourceful woman._

 _He knew she was right. Just because he'd seen his future and Tenavik had said he'd sealed it by taking the time crystal from Boreth he could not take the chance, not with so many lives at stake._

 _"Kat," he begged softly, using her first name, to hell with regulations, hoping there was some way to talk her out of this madness._

 _She shook her head lightly, her mind already made up. From that moment he knew there was no turning back._

 _"Go," she commanded. "It's time."_

 _He swallowed as he turned to leave. Now was not the time for debate. He would honor her by following her last order. However, he didn't get very far until she spoke up again._

 _"And Chris-," she used his name this time, not his rank, these was not words meant for a captain but for a friend. "Whatever your path may be, you can handle it."_

He sighed as he ran a hand through his thick dust streaked hair and closed his eyes.

 _"Whatever your path may be, you can handle it. You can handle it, handle it, handle it-"_

Another voice broke through his reverie over the com system. _"How long are you going to sit in there and feel sorry for yourself?"_ Una asked, her voice admonishing. _"Can't you at least let me in and save me a seat?"_

Chris let out a shaky breath. He wasn't exactly looking for company right now but he knew Una would not take no for an answer. "Computer release turbolift," he said.

Within moments the door opened to reveal his dust streaked first officer with an equally haunted look in her eyes. They shared a silent moment of understanding as she made her way over and slid down the wall to join him on the floor.

He gently knocked his head against the wall a few times and closed his eyes. "I can't believe that she's gone, that _Discovery_ is gone."

"Me neither," Una whispered. "Hell, they made the ultimate sacrifice."

"God, I am so tired, Una. I can't take this anymore. I just,-" he trailed off and sighed in frustration. "I don't know what I want anymore."

"You've had a shock, Chris," Una whispered softly as she turned to look at him. "We all have. But we owe it to the others to continue with our life. That's the least we can do."

"Maybe I should resign," he mumbled dejectedly.

"Don't you dare," she replied sharply. "Starfleet is ready to hang yet another medal on your chest."

He turned to look at her. "I don't want it, Una. I don't deserve it."

She couldn't help herself as she felt her anger rising. "You thick headed idiot," she chided and then quickly added, "sir," with an innocent smirk.

He actually smiled back at that, the twinkle in his eyes suddenly back. "That is bordering on insubordination, Number One," he cautioned softly.

"If that's what it takes," she replied with a sly grin. "Do I need to kick your ass too?"

Chris shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. I'm just not sure my legs will hold me at the moment," he replied.

"You are needed, captain, the crew needs to see you, needs to draw strength from you in a moment like this," she reasoned.

He snorted as he leaned his head back at the wall and tilted his head upwards to face her as she stood. "You don't know what you're asking right now," he whispered.

She reached out with a hand, indicating for him to grab it so she could haul him up. "Come on Chris," Una said with a sly smirk. "Let's roam the corridors again, humor the bridge crew and turn up in sickbay one more time before we call it a night."

"Phil would love that, especially since I promised him to go to bed two hours ago and try to get some sleep," Pike drawled.

OOOOOO

Ash Tyler sadly bid L'Rell goodbye and this time it really was goodbye for good. He couldn't turn up at her doorstep and he knew that her every step would be watched from now on. This was a trying time, a turbulent time for the Klingon chancellor. Dark forces threatened to overpower her and throw her deep down in the medieval dungeons of Qonos never to be seen again. Had Philippa Georgiou not showed up when she did, both he and the child they'd had together, would probably have been killed off by the ruthless Klingon from the house of Tarak.

He sighed wearily. Appearing at L'Rell's doorstep to ask for her assistance when it came to sending the _Discovery_ away had had its prize. Not only would it be seen as a weakness, it would reveal his existence. He was, after all, supposed to be dead as far as the Klingons were concerned.

Ash sighed. 'What was he supposed to do now?' Michael had left with the _Discovery_ and L'Rell had set a course for her homeworld. He wasn't sure where Philippa Georgiou was at the moment but right now he didn't really care. He had never trusted the woman. The only one he did feel he could trust at the moment was ironically Captain Pike, the man with whom he'd gotten a very bad start. He set a course toward the severely damaged starship and grimaced at the size of the hole in her saucer section and marvelled at the fact that she was still holding together.

OOOOOO

Gabriel Lorca stared out through the large windows of the atrium back at Starfleet Medical. His leg was getting better, he'd come a long way and he'd been offered a new command. At least that was something, considering everything else he was forced to deal with.

Katrina Cornwell had been his tether ever since the academy and his love if he dared to admit it. He'd always had faith in her and always known he could turn to her. It had been with bitter disappointment that he'd realized that not even she could tell the difference between him and his counterpart. They had argued about it several times, he'd been so angry with her. However, what he regretted the most was that he had forgiven her but not gotten the chance to tell her before he received the communique from Captain Pike that the Admiral was lost during the battle with the AI.

He was bitter and resentful as Christopher Pike finally walked through the door to the East Wing of Starfleet Medical. He tore his gaze away from the sunny hills outside the window and carefully, slowly got out of the chair to stand as the younger man neared.

"Lorca," Pike acknowledged as he came to stand opposite him.

Something snapped inside of him and before Gabriel could stop himself he landed a punch hard at Pike's face.

A doctor who'd been standing at the other end of the large atrium quickly made his way over but Pike shook his head, grimacing as he gently reached up with his hand to cover his cheek and wipe away the slight trickle of blood from the corner of him mouth.

"Sir," the doctor said seriously.

Pike ignored him, instead he directed his attention to the older man. "I'll have to admit that I didn't see that one coming," he said kindly.

Gabe swallowed, tears threatened to spring from his eyes at any second and he was ashamed that he couldn't contain his emotions better. "You," he began in a quivering voice, his tone cold. "She sacrificed her life for you."

"For all of us," Pike replied darkly. "Do you think it was easy to leave her down there? To watch her be blown into pieces before my very eyes and know that she saved my ship!"

Lorca was momentarily stunned by the abrupt outbreak of emotions on Pike's face and the coldness mixed with anger in his usually soft voice. He sat down hard on the nearest chair with a thud and sighed wearily.

"Captain Pike. A word if I may," the doctor said sternly as he motioned for him to follow.

"Captain Lorca, please, take a moment to calm down before I get back," Pike said softly, harboring no bad feelings toward the angry man. "There is something I need to tell you."

Gabriel looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and nodded faintly. "Chris," he managed. "I'm so sorry. And, please, stop calling me captain. I'll never receive a new command now."

Pike smirked at that, a cunning wry dimpled smile appearing on his lips. "Don't be so sure of that," he said as he headed after the doctor.

OOOOOO

"Captain Pike," the fiftyish something doctor said seriously as he retrieved a medical tricorder from is pocket. "My name is Doctor Collins, I'm the head of department here. I believe it is you we have to thank for avoiding a disaster of major proportions."

Chris smirked at that. "No," he said wearily. "You should thank those who are no longer among us. Without their sacrifice we would never had made it."

The doctor eyed him for a moment and then studied his tricorder with a grimace. "I have a feeling you're being too modest, captain," he said seriously. "Now, this is going to leave quite a bruise, there is a fine hairline fracture running from the central point of your left eye and all the way to the point where the upper jaw is attached to the skull."

Pike actually chuckled at that and shook his head. "He did throw a solid punch," he admitted.

"I'll have to report this into your medical file so that your doctor can treat this properly," Collins explained seriously.

Pike rolled his eyes. "Phil is going to be so happy. I'm looking forward to that conversation," he drawled sarcastically.

"Boyce," Collins muttered fondly. "He's the CMO of the flagship, isn't he?"

"The one and only," Pike smirked.

"Just because I am curious. When will the Enterprise set out for deep space again?" the doctor asked.

Pike got a weary look on his face for a moment, looking like he'd aged at least five years after hearing the question. "When this mess is cleared up I suppose. There are debriefings and more debriefings, the ship is badly damaged. The last report from space dock indicates it would take at least four months to get her back into business and space worthy which might be just as well," he said with a shrug. "We are spread thin at the moment. I have twenty critical injured crewmen here and then ten lesser injured back on board, fifteen on medical leave,- he trailed off and let the sentence hang in the air.

The doctor nodded solemnly as he understood Pike's dilemma. All the condolences he had to write, everything that needed to be coordinated, all the material that needed to be shipped aboard and all the tests that needed to be run before the flagship could leave space dock again. Collins shuddered, he was glad to have solid ground under his feet and grateful he didn't knew all of his patients the way the doctors did onboard the ships, it made life easier. To constantly be at the frontlines would be grating on his nerves, not knowing if they survived the next mission or not, to live with the uncertainty of whether or not they would return to earth ever again. Then on top of that all the expectations the inhabitants of the Federation had, especially on a ship like the _Enterprise_.

The doctor placed a hand on the captain's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "I admire your strength Captain Pike," he said kindly.

The younger man smirked, revealing the dimples on his cheek. "I'm just doing my job, doctor," he said softly.

"Then you keep doing that, son," he said. "And take some credit for it. I know you've done a lot of good out there."

Pike nodded, not thinking he was worthy of the praise he was receiving from a man he'd never seen before. "Will you keep me informed of Captain Lorca's progress?" he asked.

Doctor Collins nodded. "As long as you're in range," he promised.

OOOOOO

Gabriel glanced up as a shadow fell on the table from behind him and he looked up to see Christopher Pike once again at his side.

"Most men would have left after what I did before," Gabriel said. "But I have a feeling you're not most men, are you Chris?"

"We don't know each other that well, Gabriel, but we both knew Kat," he said curtly.

"I hope you weren't as close to her as I was," Gabe said with a fond smile. "Then I think I have to punch you again."

Chris laughed, his eyes sparkling. "I have one love, her name is the _Enterprise_. I simply have no time for other women," he said.

Gabe shook his head. "Have you glanced at the mirror lately?" he asked sceptically. "With your looks and your title I think there'd be a line-up for you."

Pike harrumphed, obviously uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Just as direct as Kat," he mused. "Look, I realize it might not help, that it won't bring her back, but I know that Kat still loved you. And that she'd forgiven you."

"You're right," Gabriel finally said in a subdued voice, his eyes downcast. "It won't bring her back but at least it lessens the pain of having lost her a little."

"If there's anything I can do," Chris offered.

Lorca gave a mirthless laugh and shook his head. "Get off my back, captain. I am not your project," he replied.

Pike nodded, bit his lower lip and turned to study the older captain for a moment. Gabriel Lorca was a bit of an enigma to him yet he hadn't been unaware of the man and his achievements. Lorca was a good man, a good officer, who ran a tight ship with a loyal crew. He could only imagine what it must have been like to lose everything and to come back and lose some more. To have his entire life and career smashed into pieces.

Chris sighed, suddenly he came to appreciate his own fate; at least he knew what lay ahead of him. He knew what emotions Gabriel went through, denial, acceptance; all of it. He had been there not too long ago. Kat had tried to drag him out of his shell but he wanted none of it until the one day when he had been forced to get himself together again for the sake of others.

"Like I said," Chris said kindly. "If there is anything I can do."

Gabriel broke into a small smile, a genuine smile this time. "You don't give up do you?" he asked.

Pike smirked slyly.

"I'd be honored to call you my friend," Gabriel finally said. "There is one thing you can do for me."

Pike nodded. "Anything," he said.

"Be safe out there," Lorca said.

"I can't promise,-"

"Just promise me," Gabriel pushed. "I have lost so many already. If I am to let you into my life and be my friend, Chris. You have to promise me to stay safe."

Pike sighed, feeling old and worn all of a sudden, images from Boreth and the battle with the AI flashing before his eyes. He plastered a smile that didn't quite manage to reach his eyes as he nodded. "I promise," he said.

The broken man let out the brightest smile the younger captain had seen in months. "Thank you," he whispered.

OOOOOO

 _The end_

 _A/N: Quite an emotional and bittersweet ending but it had to be that way. Thank you all for following and thank you for all the favs. I hope you've enjoyed the story!_


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